Schalk van der Westhuizen is marking his first decade as winemaker of Alto with the release of MPHS, a powerful but sleek micro-cuvée created to honour the extraordinary soils and location of this dryland Stellenbosch red wine estate set high on the Helderberg Mountain.
Just six barrels (amounting to 1 800 litres) have been made of the maiden 2007 vintage of the 67/33 blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for two years in wood and then left to mature in the bottle for another year before release.
The cryptic name MPHS reflects the initials of the four winemakers who have built the reputation of the farm. They are Manie Malan, whose father planted only red varietals on Alto as early as the 1920s; Piet du Toit, who acquired the farm in 1959; his son, Hempies, the renowned Springbok rugby player, who took over in 1983; and Schalk himself, who joined Alto in 2000.
Like its maker, MPHS is big and muscular but also lithe and restrained. Its concentrated black and red fruit flavours have been tempered by 24 months in new French oak.
It is produced from what Van der Westhuizen believes are the farm’s best two blocks of the two varietals chosen for the blend: a 2 ha block of Cabernet Franc planted 350m above sea level in deep red Hutton soils and 11 years’ old at the time of picking; and a 5 ha block of Cabernet Sauvignon, sited 500m above sea level and established in stony granite soils, with the vines 14 years old in 2007.
Both vineyards are cooled by afternoon maritime breezes blowing off False Bay to protract ripening. Under viticulturist Eben Archer, a strong focus was placed on vine root development and distribution in these vineyards which today produce fruit of exceptional balance.
“Prof Archer has shown that there is a direct correlation between the quality of the vine root system and eventual grape and wine quality,” says Van der Westhuizen. “The size, health and activity of the root system impact on the growth of the shoots and leaves above the ground. By applying carefully designed soil surface management techniques coupled with the optimal spacing of vine rows and vines within each row, and the use of vertical seven-wire trellising systems, a favourable balance is achieved between subterranean and surface growth of the vines. As a result, the total volume of roots is matched by the total volume of top growth, including fruit, leaves, trunk and stems.
“Thanks to the condition of the vines and their deep root systems, we were able to pick the grapes at 26° Balling and still ensure an excellent balance between fruit flavour, acid and sugar. We harvested on taste, when the tannins were fully ripened and the berries had reached a peak of flavour concentration.
“Normally, these grapes would find their way into our larger-volume Cabernet Sauvignon or Alto Rouge wines but these gems have been given a voice of their own in the new blend. We selected the best-of-best fruit and had to compete with the baboons to make sure we got to it before they did!” says Van der Westhuizen. “They have an unerring instinct for always identifying the prime quality berries.”
He says the wine’s fruit intensity has been contained by extended ageing in medium-toasted small barrels, sourced from three coopers to add to its complexity. “I originally thought 18 months would be enough but the fruit was still too powerful at that point. Two years was just the time the wine needed in wood to create the rounded but graceful richness and complexity I was aiming for.”
After the final assemblage the wine was very lightly filtered before it was bottled.
He is proud of the pleasing harmony of MPHS. “When you pick at such ripeness, it is always a challenge to achieve a finessed profile but I think we have succeeded. The wine is ready for enjoyment now but it has the structure to age for a decade at least.”
In his typically modest and understated way, he explains that the idea for MPHS was prompted by one of Alto’s strongest advocates, Janånke Johansson, the farm’s Swedish importer and a widely respected wine judge and trader, who believed the time had come for a small-edition, hand-made wine that would reflect the very best of Alto to aficionados.
MPHS will only be made during outstanding vintages and the ratio of the two Cabernets will depend on the profile of the fruit each year. “We take our cue from nature on this and no two vintages are likely to follow the exact same recipe.”
Locally the wine is available from a small selection of stockists and retails at around R700 per bottle. For details of where it is being sold, contact Cape Legends on 021 809 7000.
The 12 finalists were examined by a seven-member panel of internationally trained and certified sommeliers and wine educators. Competitors came from the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, the US, Canada and South Korea, all countries which import South African wines and that enjoy an established culture of professional wine service.
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