Colour: Dark ruby.
Bouquet: Smoky, spicy, laced with berry and ripe fruit, supported by woody undertones.
Taste: A full-bodied wine with delicate spices, subtle presence of oak and vanilla flavours and a round, creamy finish.
The winemaker suggests enjoying it on its own or with Mediterranean dishes such as spicy lamb and meat casseroles. It is also a good partner to roasts, oxtail and even the traditional South African barbeque.
variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen
wine of origin : Coastal
analysis : alc : 14.94 % vol rs : 3.1 g/l pH : 3.59 ta : 5.97 g/l
type : Red style : Dry wooded
pack : Bottle closure : Cork
in the vineyard : Background
Alto, situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the Stellenbosch district, dates back to 1693 when it was part of a much larger farm called Groenriver (Green River), granted to a free burgher by Governor Simon van der Stel. In 1919 the owner of the farm, Hennie Malan, sold off half the land to his brother-in-law and set about planting vines on his remaining portion, focusing exclusively on red varieties. He named the smaller farm Alto, a reference to its altitude (some slopes rise as high as 500m above sea level) and his striving for excellence.
Alto has 93 hectares under vines. The trellised vineyards cling to the high granite slopes that are ideal for the cultivation of red wine varieties.
The Vineyards (viticulturist: Eben Archer)
The wine is made from vineyards planted in deep, red, decomposed granite and clay soils on a north-westerly slope, situated 200m to 400m above sea level. The ten year-old vines are grown under dryland conditions and are trellised on a five-wire hedge system. They yielded to 5 to 6 tons per hectare.