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Alto Signature Red Blend 2010

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, dark chocolate and a good tannic structure.

Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with steak, lamb, stews and casseroles.
variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 50 % Cabernet Franc ]
winery : Alto Estate
winemaker : Schalk van der Westhuizen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 14.8 % vol  rs : 2.6 g/l  pH : 3.46  ta : 6.2 g/l  
type : Red  body : Full  taste : Fruity  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  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 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.

Alto has 93 hectares under vines. The trellised vineyards cling to the high granite slopes, ideal for the cultivation of red wine varieties.

Vineyards
This wine is made from grapes of north-facing dryland vines, between 10 and 21 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.
about the harvest: The grapes were harvested by hand at the end of March at 25° to 26° Balling.
A five-wire fence was used to trellis the vines, which yielded a low 5 to 6 tons per hectare.
in the cellar : After destalking and crushing, the mash was fermented in stainless steel tanks at 25° to 27°C, using the selected 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. (Winemaker: Bertho der Westhuzen).
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OTHER VINTAGES

Alto Signature Red Blend 2015
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alto Signature Red Blend 2010
Cabernet Sauvignon