Alto Shiraz 2011

Colour: Ruby red.
Bouquet: Blackcurrant and prunes with smoky, spicy undertones laced with berry and fruit.
Taste: Full-bodied with delicate spice, prune and plum flavours, a creamy mouthfeel and a good tannic backbone.

Excellent enjoyed with Mediterranean dishes such as spicy lamb and meat casseroles, roasts, oxtail and even the traditional South African barbeque.

variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winery : Alto Estate
winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.8 % vol  rs : 3.7 g/l  pH : 3.51  ta : 5.3 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fruity   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
International Wine and Spirits Competition 2014 - Silver Outstanding

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.

in the vineyard : 
The grapes for this wine came from vineyards planted in deep, red, decomposed granite and clay soils on a north-westerly slope, situated some 200 m to 400 m above sea level. The vines are grown under dryland conditions and are trellised on a five-wire hedge system. They yielded 5 to 6 tons per hectare.

about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand at 26° to 27° Balling at the end of March.

in the cellar : After destalking and crushing the grapes, the juice was fermented for seven days on the skins in stainless-steel tanks at 25° to 27°C. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in wood for 18 months, using a combination of French (40%) and American (60%) first, second and third-fill barrels.

find our wines in :

OTHER VINTAGES

Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz