A blend of Grenache blanc from Paarl/Swartland and Wellington, with a dash of Grenache Gris. Grenache prefers warmer climates, but the building of layers into Grenache is something that I enjoy immensely. This wine was taken to tank and fermented in old French Oak barrels. But then, to add some extra kick in the wine, we also allowed a few days of skin contact on a portion of the grapes. In future I think we will add even more of these components, giving the wine extra grip and texture.

#Tasting#

'Fast forward 2 years and we’re in Marseilles, as a documentary about BLANKBOTTLE had been selected as a finalist in a French Film Festival. The evening after our film was screened, we were invited to dinner with all the judges. My French-speaking Swiss friend, Eric, (the guy who nicknamed my daughter as Manon) came all the way from Geneva to join us for the screening - which was fantastic as we really struggled to communicate with the French! On our way from the museum where the film Festival took place, Eric proceeded to explain to them in French what BLANKBOTTLE is all about. He also mentioned that I make a wine called Manon des Sources. They stopped in their tracks... one of the judges immediately looked a bit more interested...turns out he is Nicola Pagnol - the grandson of Marcel Pagnol, the writer of the original story Manon des Sources. He is also the owner of the brand Manon des Sources and his full-time occupation is to run the brand. He owns the rights to all the books, film, souvenirs etc and turns out it is a huge business in Marseille.

So what are the chances? Here’s Eric, who introduced me to the Manon des Sources name, explaining the intricacies of BLANKBOTTLE to Nicola Pagnol himself? Just shows - my wife is always right!

The label of this wine is a map of Marseille, the roots of the Pagnol family.' Pieter Walser, Blank Bottle

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