Blank Bottle – Moment of Silence NV R40 14
Pieter Walser is a sort of negociant who buys up smallish parcels of wine and packages them – very elegantly, let it be said – under his own label, where the details about the wine, are not revealed. Origin, vintage and varietal make-up are easily available on the Blank Bottle website, however. The wines are sold by direct marketing, via the website rather than through the usual outlets, thus saving the hefty retailer mark-up. And the wine? This one is, the website tells us, a 2007 Wellington blend of chardonnay, chenin and viognier. It works well as a blend, with no varietal dominance, though chenin’s dry grass aromas are clear, with a little spice and ginger coming probably from the oaking. Pretty decent if not spectacular, and fair value – though there were complaints, especially from CvZ, that the big burliness of the wine was a bit excessive, and the high alcohol showed inf burn on the finish. – TJ