Epileptic Inspiration 2018

• 1/3 Elgin Semillon that fermented and aged in French Oak for one and 1/2 years.
• 1/3 Elgin Semillon that fermented in old French Oak and then aged in a 330 liter clay amphora for another 6 months.
• 1/3 Baardseerdersbos Semillon, fermented in Old Oak and aged for one and a half years on the leese.

I am not a fan of greener wines and therefore concentrate on picking the grapes when it is fully developed, which results in a riper-style Semillon.

ALCOHOL (%): 14.00%

RESIDUAL SUGAR (g/L): 2.18

TOTAL ACIDITY (g/L): 5.47

PH: 3.3

The story of Epileptic Inspiration:

"Epileptic Inspiration 2013? You have no respect!", a Swiss guy told me on a recent trip to Zurich.

Since the beginning of BLANKbottle, I have been designing my own labels. At first, it was because there was absolutely no way I could afford designers. I made use of Microsoft Word, typed BLANKbottle, placed it into a block and played around with the colours - no designing skills required at all. And, to be honest, for the first 10 years I actually didn't like my labels much (besides maybe the honesty of it). Every year, I would again have to fight off the desire to employ professional label designers.

For those of you who don't know this: I started having Epilepsy at the age of 30. Then in November 2013, whilst not on medication, I had another huge epileptic fit (the second one ever). So the Dr booked me off driving and surfing, yet again. When I have a fit, what happens to me at first is that I forget everything. My long term memory returns quite soon thereafter (within hours), but I find that my short term analytical memory takes about 2-3 months to return - if at all... 

And this is how I started to design my new labels for the 2013 wines. I could not look at the computer due to the flickering screen. So I started making use of scissors, paint, Lino, pencil and old paper. And the result: I think I had a breakthrough in design, inspiration of Epileptic proportions.

So the drawing and design of my own labels came as a direct result of my epilepsy. And here’s the strange part which I cannot prove - I believe that something in my brain changed due to the epilepsy. Before epilepsy I had no skill or desire to draw paint etc. Now I still don’t have the skill, but at least I like my labels! All 47 of the ones coming your way in 2019.