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Alto Rouge Red Blend 2023

Tasting Notes

46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Shiraz, 23% Cabernet franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot.

Evocative aromatics of black plum and sour cherry with savoury undertones of smoked charcuterie, pine needle and graphite.
Polished and supple with ripe, smooth tannins supporting crushed blackberry, dark cherries, purple fig and plum. The palate is lush with a chalky edge and firm structure.

Winery: Alto
Varietal: Red Blend
SKU: ALTROU2023 Categories: , ,
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Alto Rouge Red Blend 2023

$16.99

Awards/Reviews

90 pts Tim Atkin MW 2025
Good producers step up in a difficult vintage, even when they are making comparatively large volume wines like Alto Rouge. Perfumed, vibrant and stylishly oaked, this is a well-judged cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot with good grip and focus, flavours of mint, dill and blackcurrant pastille and graceful tannins. 2026-31

4 Stars 2026 John Platter’s South African Wine Guide
Historical icon with over 100 consecutive years bottling. 23 (88 pts) has something for all palates; rich dark fruit, structure, tweak oak spice (10% American) in cab, shiraz, cab franc plus drops petit verdot, merlot offer quality with satisfaction. 18 months small oak, 8% new.

Winemaker Notes

The 5 grape varieties used to make up this blend ripen at different times and were harvested at 23,5° to 25° Balling. Each varietal was vinified separately and fermented on the skins for 7 – 12 days at 25° to 27°C in closed stainless-steel fermenters. The fermenting mash was pumped over several times a day. After malolactic fermentation the component wines were aged for 14-18 months in a combination of first-, second- and third-fill barriques, of 90% French and 10% American oak, before the desired blend was made.

The 5 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 100m to 500m above sea level, and benefit from the cooling effects of the afternoon maritime breezes during the ripening season. At the time of picking the vines were between 7 and 27 years old and yielded an average of 7 tonnes per hectare.

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