For this wine I never had the opportunity to do a write-up. The wine is the first that sold out before I could release it. I had the wine at a few tastings and it just flew from the warehouse... It is a 100% Carignan from a vineyard in the Swartland. Learn More

This is a area specific white blend of Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier. Fermented and aged in OLD French oak barrels. It's NOT your typical wooded wine. You can hardly taste the wood. The wine is fresh! It represents and express the vineyards from Wellington, NOT the barrels from France... Learn More

The grapes for this wine; “Nothing to Declare 2010” were handpicked from exquisite Swartland and Voor Paardeberg vineyards, pressed in a basket press, barrel fermented using only the natural yeast present on the grapes, no additives (except for a little bit of Sulphur), aged for one year in older barrels and blended and bottled in January 2011. It's a blend of Chenin blanc and something very interesting. Learn More

The Spaniard 2007 was predominantly Mourvedre but in the BIG Spaniard 2009 I used predominantly Carignan. By doing this, I'm keeping the wine in the same style but adding colour and perfume. The Mourvedre adds oemph and the Cinsaut and Grenache, elegance (not even mentioning the fact that this is a different vintage and therefore a different wine...) Learn More

This is a big wine, predominantly Cabernet, with some Merlot and Cabernet franc to add dimension and drinkability. All the components spent 24 months in 225l French oak casks and the wine was bottled at the end of last year. Learn More

“The WHITE BLACK 2009” (the sister of “BLACK 2008”) is a classic Swartland style white blend. It is a joint venture between Swartland loyalist Albert Ahrens and the BLANKbottle philosophy. A blend of Chenin, Chardonnay, Viognier, Clairette and some other interesting stuff. The grapes are from the Paardeberg in the Swartland. Learn More

BLACK (reference to the Swartland) 2008 is predominantly Syrah (Riebeek and Paardeberg grapes) with bits of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan form the Paardeberg. This wine is the result of a friendship, 7 years experience of creating Swartland wines, the BLANKbottle philosophy and my search for great Syrah in the Swartland. The wine is dense and intense but is presented with sophisticated elegance. The 2010 vintage is in barrel, but for now this wine is a once off limited bottling. We’ll see how the 2010 vintage turns out… Learn More

The wine is stylistically the same as the 2007 vintage, but differs in the way the wine was matured. We used older barrels in order to get less wood extraction and integrated complexity. This ensures a weighty wine without obstructing the ability of the wine to express fruit. A crisp, clean wine with umph! Learn More

This is a single cultivar wine. 100% Mourvèdre 2007 and forms part of the Spaniard Educational range... Learn More

Shiraz / Zinfandel 2008 - Simonsberg Wellington

THIS WINE IS EXCLUSIVE TO SELECTED WOOLWORTHS RETAIL OUTLETS... “The BOSS” is based on the success of “EYE OF THE STORM”. Learn More

Chenin blanc / Viognier 2009 - Wellington

THIS WINE IS EXCLUSIVE TO SELECTED WOOLWORTHS RETAIL OUTLETS... It's a wine made for summer. Fresh and vibrant to be enjoyed with light salads and fish. But this wine will only be reaching its peak after a year in bottle. Exactly what Woolworths were looking for... Learn More

Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Cabernet franc / Pinotage

With this wine I left it up to my clients to decide the price. I hand selected 63 of my valued clients to assist me in this adventure. Learn More

Carignan 2007 - Swartland

PLEASE NOTE: I only have a few bottles left and therefore only sell a maximum of one bottle per order. Learn More

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Cab Franc 18%, Merlot 18%, Petit Verdot 12%, Malbec 12%. All the grapes are from Wellington, near Hermon. The wine’s been aged in small French oak barrels for 13 months – 20% new oak. We bottled the wine November 2008. Learn More

Cinsaut 2007 - Wellington

I am so impressed with this specific wine that I will most definitely repeat this in the future. It might take me 2 years to achieve, but I feel that if Cinsaut can do this, who knows where it could go... Learn More

Grenache 2007 - Piekenierskloof

100% Grenache from Piekenierskloof. My personal favourite, lower in alcohol and the most RUSTIC of them all. Learn More

Mourvedre/Grenache/Carignan/Cinsaut 2007. PLEASE NOTE: I only have a few bottles left and therefore only sell a maximum of 2 bottles per order. Learn More

Shiraz/Zinfandel/Viognier 2008

“Eye of the Storm” is a blend of 90% Shiraz 2007 from Schapenberg (same mountain that Vergelegen’s on, just on the opposite side), and 8% Zinfandel and 2% Viognier from Wellington. Learn More

Chenin blanc/Viognier 2008

To cut a long story short, since my introduction to Wellington I felt at home and loved the area, its grapes and its people. I’ve always somehow felt that I was directed there and on the right place for the moment. As time went on, and the wine kept on impressing me, I realized that the area could definitely play a massive role in my business for years to come. Learn More

Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

This is a blend of 2 cultivars. The name 54.38 originates from the distance in kilometres between the two blocks of grapes used for this wine - 90% Merlot 2007 from Schapenberg near Somerset West and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Wellington. I’ve often had the questions: “Would 10% Cab make any difference at all?”, and: “Why a 2008 Cab with a 2007 Merlot?” Learn More

Chardonnay/Chenin blanc/Viognier 2007 - Wine of origin Wellington

I consider it a great blessing to have had the priviledge to bottle this quality wine for “Moment of Silence”. It is a blend of 3 noble white wine cultivars, fermented in 100% new French oak barrels and aged for 7 months. The 3 wines were made separately. The blend was made up 1/3 Chardonnay 1/3 Chenin blanc 1/3 Viognier 2007. Learn More

Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz 2006 - Wine of Origin Stellenbosch

The wine was then aged in barrel for 16 months. The Cabernet Sauvignon was aged in all French, 50% new oak. The Shiraz was aged on all American, 50% new oak. Learn More

Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz 2006 - Stellenbosch Simonsberg

Both wines were aged in 86% French oak and 14% American oak for 16 months. We then made up the blend with 66% Cabernet and 34% Shiraz, gave it a light fining, filtration and bottled on the 16th of July 2007. Learn More

Pinotage 2006

I launched this wine as a Mystery wine in August 2007. I gave my clients 2 months to buy, drink and guess the cultivar, vintage and origin of the wine. The first of October 2007 I revealed the Mystery wine with following e-mail to all my clients. Learn More

Merlot (75%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Shiraz (10%) Learn More

Shiraz / Viognier 2005 - Paarl Learn More

Merlot 2005

Quite recently, I had a dream that BLANKbottle’s next batch should come from the Hemel and Aarde Valley – not an easy task to accomplish by any means! A few days later, a client phoned to let me know that he feels my next wine should come from the ….Hemel and Aarde Valley!! – CONFIRMATION! Learn More

Shiraz 2005 - Walker bay Hermanus

Tasting notes: BLANKbottle – PHORTION Syrah 2005. Exuberant and Flamboyant, spicy black berry fruit with smoky plums, vanilla and refreshing raspberry acidity. It’s my Vanilla chocolate pudding! Smooth in tannins, with ripe plumy fruit and a solid backbone. All fruit from the Hemel and Aarde ward, Walker Bay, Hermanus. R35 a bottle. Learn More

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet franc & Malbec. Concentrated refined dark fruit with marvellous spicy richness. Excellent light toned yet full-flavoured with velvet tannins in perfect balance. 60% of the fruit from the Simonsberg and 40% from the Hemel and Aarde Ward, Walker Bay, Hermanus. Learn More

Merlot 2003 - Stellenbosch

The vineyard was planted in 1992 on deep Tukulu soils. The North West facing slope provided the perfect terroir for Merlot, situated between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. The vines were removed in early 2004. Therefore, this harvest being the last one from this specific block. Learn More

Chenin blanc 2005 - Wellington

This fresh, fruity but full bodied Chenin blanc is the result of fine blending. Learn More

Merlot 2003 - Simonsberg Stellenbosch

The grapes came from a vineyard on the foothills of the Simonsberg, just outside Stellenbosch. Learn More

Shiraz 2004 - Somerset West

The only difference between 3-43 and 7-47 is the origin of the grapes. 3-43 came from Robertson valley and 7-47 is from Somerset West. Learn More