Alto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

« Ruby brick. Tomato soup and tea leaf nose with hints of black berry. Palate is matured and developed with red berry and sour cherry on the layered aftertaste. Complex and rich. Drink through 2029. »

Attractive nose of dark cherries, dark plums, dried herbs, cedar and baking spices follow through to a medium body with firm tannins. Compact with a rigid core of creamy dark berries and a powdery finish with some length. Drink or hold.

« Dark garnet with brick red rim. Dried prune and plum on the rich nose. Sour cherry and strawberry on the well integrated, but grippy palate. Smooth and layered on the refined aftertaste. Drink through 2027. »

Lots of aromas of cassis, blackberries and dark chocolate, with hints of tomato leaves, spices and wet earth. Juicy and full of savory fruit, with medium to full body and bright acidity. Fine, chalky tannins and a lingering finish. Drink or hold.

Inviting aromas of gravel, blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry and cocoa. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and succulent on the palate. Oak-laced and coming together nicely. A hint of resin comes through. Drink now.

Grown on the north-facing slopes of the Helderberg, this benefits from fresh ocean breezes. Hints of blueberry, toastiness and a touch of vanilla make for a most sumptuous nose. The palate carries on just like that, in a velvety sweep of smooth, dense, full fruit. Fine freshness only underlines these attributes while the tannins brush gently against the palate. All the while the very depth of fruit becomes ever more apparent. The finish is wonderfully drying and mouth-watering.

A ripe and structured red with notes of blackberries and blackcurrants, pine needles and chocolate. Medium-to full- bodied. Dry, with layers of chewy tannins and bright, savory fruit. Medium finish with hints of soil and sand. Drinkable now, but better in 2023.

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(2012) Quite dark, with a gravy colour and old, oxidised nose showing lots of leafy decay making it a little difficult to discern the fruit. I liked the sweetness of this on the palate, a real coffee edge, though the acid does come through slightly stridently, and indeed the fruit is just slightly lacking.

Mocha, coffee, mint and spice in the nose and on the palate make this unique offering from South Africa a true expression of the country's diverse terroir. It has a friendly character, with its minerality and soft tannins, making it great for a meal of lighter dishes.