 |
| Alto's
history dates back to 1693, when it was part of
a larger farm named Groenrivier ("Green River").
In 1919 the then owner of Groenrivier,
Hennie Malan, divided the farm vertically in order
to sell half of the land to his brother-in-law.
The development of Malan's share was a co-operative
venture between himself and his son, Manie. In
the next few years they set about converting this
partial wilderness into a wine farm, to which
they gave the Latin name, Alto, a reference both
to the altitude of the vineyards and their own
aspirations. They built a homestead and a cellar,
and planted the lower slopes with vines.
Malan's choice of red varieties
was based on a shrewd assessment of the nature
of his land. When Piet du Toit bought Alto in
1959, neither he nor the experts he called in
for analysis and advice could fault the planting
or the wine created by the Malans. When Piet retired
in 1983, his son, Hempies, a well-known rugby
Springbok, succeeded him. Hempies du Toit continued
the fine red wine-making traditions of his predecessors
until May 2000 when Neethlingshof's winemaker
Schalk van der Westhuizen took over. The Alto
Shiraz 2001 was awarded a gold medal at Decanter
World Wine Awards 2005 as well as winning the
Trophy for the best SA Rhone varietal over 10
pounds. |
|
Alto
is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain
in the Stellenbosch Wine of Origin district. Its
trellised vineyards cling to the high granite slopes
that rise from a 100 to 500 metres above sea level,
which are ideal for the cultivation of red grape
varietals. Unsurprisingly, Alto is, and always has
been, red wine country.
The Estate's sound reputation for producing world-class
red wines can be ascribed, in part, to its excellent
terroir. It is no coincidence that the area is known,
locally, as the Golden Triangle. The vineyards face
north, north-east and north-west. In summer, when
the vines are drenched in sunshine, the late-afternoon
sea breezes that rise from False Bay cool the grapes,
thus lengthening the ripening period and preserving
the complex flavours of the noble varietals grown
at Alto. Dryland conditions ensure that the vines
are shy bearing, resulting in quality grapes and,
consequently, quality wine.
It is this outstanding Alto quality which has won
the Estate more than 70 gold medals in open competition
with the best wines in the world. One of South Africa's
most celebrated labels, the Alto Estate, has been
a Cape institution for over 50 years and has become
known as this country's own red blend.
Alto produces the Alto Rouge every year, and in
particularly good years, like 2001, an Alto Cabernet
Sauvignon is released. In fact a limited released
Alto Shiraz 2001 was also released but is only available
from the farm and the Bergkelder. The Alto Cabernet
Sauvignon 2001 was recently selected to be served
on SA Airways First Class, a fitting environment
for such a noble wine. |
|
|
|
