Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Name: Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Brand: Alto
SKU: 30297

Colour: Plum Red
Bouquet: Cherries, violets, black olives, some dark chocolate and a hint of tobacco.
Taste: Full-bodied and mouth-filling with cherries, tobacco and dark chocolate and a good tannin structure.

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

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variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon ]

winery : Alto Estate

winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.44 % vol rs : 1.90 g/l pH : 3.63 ta : 6.50 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle closure : Cork

AWARDS

2013 Decanter World Wine Awards - Bronze
2012 Veritas Awards - Silver Medal
2012 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show - Bronze

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.

Vineyards (viticulturist: Eben Archer)
This wine is made from grapes of north-facing dryland vines, between 9 and 20 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 4 to 5 tons per hectare.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand at the end of March at between 24° and 25° Balling and yielded a low 4 to 5 tons per hectare.

in the cellar : After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at between 25° and 27° C, using the select NT112 yeast culture. The juice was separated from the skins after 10 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into first, second-and third-fill French-oak barrels and matured for 18 months.

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