Alto Rouge 2012

Name: Alto Rouge 2012
Brand: Alto
SKU: 35618

Colour: Dark ruby.
Bouquet: Powerfull berry fruit with cigar box and dark chocolate followed by vanilla and oak spices.
Taste: Full-bodied with appealing blackberry flavours followed by tobacco, chocolate, toast and vanilla and a good tannic structure adding complexity and long maturation potential.

Excellent on its own or served with simply- flavoured red meat, game and duck dishes.

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variety : Cabernet Franc [ 44% Cabernet Franc, 37% Shiraz, 12% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon ]

winery : Alto Estate

winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.0 % vol rs : 2.8 g/l pH : 3.48 ta : 5.8 g/l

type : Red style : Dry body : Full wooded

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

AWARDS

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 farm Alto, a reference to its altitude (some slopes rise as high as 500m above sea level) and his striving for excellence. The cellar was built in 1920.

Alto has 93 hectares under vines. The trellised vineyards cling to the high granite slopes, ideal for the cultivation of red wine varieties. Harvesting at Alto traditionally only starts at the end of February / beginning March due to the cooling influence of the southerly breezes during this time. This ensures gradual ripening of the grapes and contributes to the development of delicate flavour in the fruit.

Vineyard (Viticulturist: Eben Archer)
The four varietals were handpicked from trellised vineyards which grow in Hutton and Glenrosa soils. The north and north-west facing vineyards are situated against the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, some 160m to 500m above sea level, and benefit from the cooling effects of the afternoon maritime breezes during the ripening season.

about the harvest: The four varieties, which ripen at different times, were harvested at between 23° and 27° Balling.

At the time of picking, the vines were between 9 and 21years old and yielded 6 to 10 tons per hectare.

in the cellar : Each varietal was vinified separately and fermented on the skins for over seven days at 25° to 27°C in closed stainless-steel tanks. The fermenting mash was pumped over several times a day.

After malolactic fermentation the component wines were aged for 18 months in a combination of first-, second- and third-fill barriques, mostly of French oak, before the blend was made up.

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