Blankbottle, Orbitofrontal Cortex, Western Cape, South Africa, 2025

Producer Profile

Blankbottle is the fiercely independent South African wine project of Pieter Walser, a winemaker known for rejecting convention in favour of curiosity, instinct and storytelling.

Founded in the early 2000s, the name stems from Walser’s early trade in unlabelled bottles and reflects his core philosophy: wine should be judged solely on what is in the glass, not what is written on the label. Each release is treated as an individual narrative, with no grape varieties listed and no fixed stylistic boundaries. Walser owns no vineyards, instead working as a modern-day négociant, sourcing fruit from exceptional sites across the Western Cape, often in extremely small parcels. The result is an ever-evolving portfolio of distinctive, site-driven wines, many of which are made only once and never repeated. Each label is handcrafted by owner-winemaker Pieter Walser, using a variety of techniques such as woodcuts, lino, pencil drawings, stencils etc. Having no indication of varietals on the label - leaving it BLANK - removing all preconceptions as to what lies beyond.

Viticulture

Orbitofrontal began as a ‘control’ blend during Pieter’s unusual experiment, which used electrodes to track his responses while tasting wines. While scientific results were pending, he and his assistant created their own blend from the same parcels. The final experimental wine (Limbic) differed completely, so both were bottled in 2015, but only Orbitofrontal continues today. It combines fruit from 17 Western Cape sites, including Grenache Blanc (Piekenierskloof), Clairette Blanche and Fernão Pires (Swartland), plus Semillon (Elgin) and Verdelho (Voor Paardeberg), reflecting Pieter’s focus on overlooked, high-quality vineyards.

Winemaking

Multiple parcels are brought together in this defining blend created from Pieter's conscious brain, combining his favourite barrels, tank selections and varietals from a range of different sites across the winelands, then aged 10 months in old French oak.

Tasting Note

Deliciously fruited with delightful green apple, orange zest, toasted almond characters, multi-layered and charmingly complex.

Food matching

This versatile white pairs well with roast chicken, pork, grilled seafood or creamy dishes, with soft cheeses also enhancing its texture and depth.