M.P.H.S

A wine with an unforgettable presence. Excellent enjoyed on its own or served with dishes such as sautéed pork chops served with fennel or a wild mushroom ragù served with pappardelle pasta and parmigiano cheese.

Alto is a farm with a rich history befitting its status as one of the icon estates of the Western Cape winelands. The first title deeds date back to 1693 but it was only in 1919 that the farm was given over entirely to vineyard. That was thanks to the foresight of the farmer Manie Malan who together with his father Hennie recognised that the property’s unique aspect soils and slopes were ideal for crafting full-bodied red wines. They named the farm Alto homage to both the farm’s altitude and the family’s pursuit of excellence. The cellar and homestead they built still stand on the estate today. The Malan’s nurtured and expanded these vineyards for four decades before selling the property to Piet du Toit in 1959. On purchasing the farm Du Toit employed a team of experts to evaluate the terroir and soils and confirm if the right cultivars were planted across the estate. The consensus? Manie Malan’s intuition couldn’t be faulted. Alto was and remains the realm of superlative red wines. In 1983 Piet retired handing the honour of Alto winemaker to his son Hempies du Toit a man as famous for his exploits on the rugby field as in the wine cellar. With the turn of the century came a new winemaker in Schalk van der Westhuizen who further cemented Alto’s reputation in South Africa and abroad. In 2015 he continued the Alto tradition of passing the baton down through the generations with his son Bertho van der Westhuizen becoming only the fifth winemaker in Alto’s long history.

Cabernet Franc: The vines were 22 years old at the time of harvesting, south-west facing and situated some 400 m above sea level. Grown in deep Hutton soil, the vines are located on slopes cooled by afternoon sea breezes. Drip irrigation was used only when deemed necessary. The yield achieved was 5 tons per hectare. Cabernet Sauvignon: The vines were 11 years old at the time of harvesting, north to northwest facing and situated some 300 m above sea level. Grown in rocky, decomposed granite soil, they are located on slopes cooled by afternoon sea breezes. Drip irrigation was used only when deemed necessary. The vines yielded an average of 7 tons per hectare.

After malolactic fermentation it was racked off the lees, the Cabernet Sauvignon component was in 100% new French oak barrels and the Cabernet Franc was in 100% 2nd fill French oak barrels for 18 months. The wine was blended without fining and received a light filtering before it was bottled in early 2020.

The Cabernet Franc grapes were hand harvested at 24.5 Balling in March 2018 and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at 24.8 Balling in late March 2018. Grapes were vinified separately and fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 27 C. The pump over method was used to ensure maximum extraction of colour. The wines were pressed after 18 days.