Blank Bottle Empire 2022

The grapes for this blend come from various plots around the Heldenberg in Stellenbosch. The Merlot comes from weathered granite soil, a rare type of soil that produces grapes with a lot of structure and extraction. The grapes are picked at optimum ripeness and cooled overnight to 4 degrees Celsius. The following morning, the grapes are destemmed and placed in open fermentation tanks. The juice undergoes spontaneous fermentation and remains on the skins for as long as possible. It is then pressed into French oak barrels, 40% of which are new. The wine is matured in these barrels for 18 months after which it is blended and bottled.

The Blank Bottle Winery by iconic winemaker Pieter Walser can be described as a winery that challenges traditional norms: "Clothes don't make the man; judge our wines by what's in the bottle, not by preconceived ideas." It all started in 2004, when a customer specifically asked for anything but Shiraz. A single sip of a pure Shiraz changed her perception and led to a purchase of three cases. This encounter inspired the concept of

Despite not owning any vineyards of his own, Pieter sources grapes from over 80 different vineyards across the Western Cape. All these different grapes are used in the over 40 different wines that are bottled each year. Managing so many vineyards requires careful planning and collaboration with local farmers and expert winemakers.

For Pieter, it is all about telling stories through his wine, even the labels are carefully designed by himself to reflect the unique nature of each bottle.

Grape variety(ies): Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Cabernet Franc 29%, Merlot 14%
Region & Country: Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa