La Residence Heritage Blend 1.5L

Please note: Award stickers are applied at the producer's discretion and may not be present on all bottles.

In celebration of our milestone 100th vintage of Alto Rouge, we have produced an exclusive limited-edition wine to honour our heritage and traditions as well as encapsulate a piece of Cape Wine history. This special bottling honours the heritage of Alto Rouge by incorporating a substantial component of Cinsault, a variety that in this wine’s early years was an integral part of its composition, but has not formed part of the blend for decades. When planting began on Alto Estate in 1919, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Shiraz were among the first varieties planted. With the legendary viticulturist Prof Abraham Izak Perold assisting the Malan’s in their new venture on the slopes of Alto, it can be assumed that his influence was a part of the Alto vision. Perold was an early advocate of Cabernet Sauvignon heading from the confines of Constantia to the mountains of Stellenbosch. Here he advised farmers to, when planting Cabernet Sauvignon, ensure a substantial presence of Cinsault as this cultivar offers solid yields to complement the lesser-yielding Cabernet Sauvignon by means of blending. In time Cinsault also proved itself as a cultivar offering flavour and deft palate weight complementing Cabernet Sauvignon. Together with Shiraz, these two varieties formed the foundations for what was to become Alto Rouge, and this Heritage Blend honours the pioneering style of the initial creators of one of South Africa’s oldest continuous red wine marques.

Prior to blending, the Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months, while the Shiraz and Cinsault matured in used oak for 14 months.