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Alto Estate Port 2006

Colour: Ruby with a youthful purplish tint.
Bouquet: A mélange of honey, chocolate and raisins with nuances of prunes, cinnamon, nuts and coffee.
Taste: Rich and almost creamy on the palate with raisons, almond, walnut and coffee.

This port is the perfect winter warmer to be enjoyed on its own or with food. It goes superbly with a selection of full-flavoured cheeses at the end of a meal, with rich desserts, a bowl of nuts or a cup of fine coffee. Serve at 18° C.
variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winery : Alto Estate
winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen
wine of origin : 
analysis : alc : 17.96 % vol  rs : 105 g/l  pH : 3.33  ta : 5.34 g/l  va : 0.64 g/l  
type : Fortified  style : Dry   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 0  closure : Cork  
AWARDS
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 Groenrivier (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.

Vineyard Location
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 vines are grown under dryland conditions and are trellised on a fivewire hedge system. They yielded to 5 to 6 tons per hectare.
Viticulturist: Eben Archer
about the harvest: The cool 2006 vintage produced superb, slow ripening Shiraz grapes with concentrated fruit flavours. Hand-picked at optimum ripeness.
in the cellar : The grapes were destalked and crushed. Colour and tannins were extracted during a short fermentation which was halted by the addition of fine brandy spirits in the traditional manner. Wood was used judiciously. To preserve the fruit components, the winemaker opted for 12 months in 300 litre oak barrels.

According to an old Portuguese proverb, "All wine would be Port - if it could!" With Alto's famous red wines, however, the winemaker would most certainly object to such a statement, but there is nevertheless much excitement in the air as the estate releases its second Cape Port.
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OTHER VINTAGES

Alto Estate Port 2006
Shiraz
Alto Estate Port 1997
Shiraz