Red Blend

Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with steak, lamb, stews and casseroles.

This wine is made from grapes of north-facing dryland vines, between 10 and 21 years old, that grow in decomposed granite soils and clay subsoil situated at altitudes of 135m and 475m above sea level respectively. The vines on the higher slopes are fanned by the cooling maritime breezes from nearby False Bay. A five-wire fence was used to trellis the vines, which yielded a low 5 to 6 tons per hectare.

After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into first-, second- and third-fill French oak barrels and matured for 18 months.

The grapes were harvested by hand at the end of March at 25° to 26° Balling. After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25° to 27°C, using the selected NT112 yeast culture. The juice was separated from the skins after 10 days.

Alto is a historic Stellenbosch wine estate dedicated exclusively to red wine, with vineyards planted on the elevated slopes of the Helderberg since 1919. Best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and its classic red blends, Alto has built a century-long reputation for structured, full-bodied South African reds with impressive ageing potential.