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Alto Fine Old Vintage 2008

Colour: Ruby with a youthful purplish tint.
Bouquet: A mélange of honey, chocolate and raisins with nuances of prunes, cinnamon, nuts and coffee.
Taste: Rich and almost creamy on the palate with raisin, almond, walnut and coffee characters.

Available only through Vinoteque

This fine old vintage can be enjoyed on its own or with food. It pairs superbly with full-flavoured cheeses, rich desserts, nuts and fine coffee. Serve at 18° C.
variety : Shiraz [ 100% Shiraz ]
winery : Alto Estate
winemaker : Bertho van der Westhuizen
wine of origin : Stellenbosch
analysis : alc : 19.79 % vol  rs : 202 g/l  pH : 3.38  ta : 6.27 g/l  
type : Fortified  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fruity  
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

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 Fine Old Vintage was produced after an interval of almost a decade since Alto’s 1997 vintage offering. It is also the first fine old vintage made by current winemaker Bertho van der Westhuizen.
in the vineyard : The grapes came from vineyards planted in deep, red, decomposed granite and clay soils on a north-westerly slope, situated some 200m to 400m above sea level. The vines are grown under dryland conditions and are trellised on a five-wire hedge system.
about the harvest: Hand-picked at optimum ripeness. They yielded 5 to 6 tons per hectare.
in the cellar : The 2008 vintage produced superb, slow-ripening Shirazrapes with concentrated fruit flavours. Hand-picked at optimum ripeness, the grapes were destalked and crushed. Colour and tannins were extracted during a short fermentation process which was halted by the addition of fine brandy spirits in the traditional manner. Wood was used judiciously. To reserve the fruit components, the winemaker opted for 12 months in 300-litre oak barrels.
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OTHER VINTAGES

Alto Fine Old Vintage 2008
Shiraz