{"product_id":"saint-rand-2025","title":"Saint RAND 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe return of our Pinotage - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSAINT RAND 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese raised bush vines grow on the Onder-Rustenberg farm in Firgrove on the outskirts of Somerset West in weathered, well-drained and warm granitic soil. The grapes were\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e100% destemmed with a very quick (not even a week on the skins!) fermentation. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou see, when you chew a Pinotage berry skin, the tannins are hectic! Chunky and raw. And the higher the alcohol during fermentation, the more the alcohol extracts tannins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe solution: a quick fermentation on the skins, and pressed before any bitter tannins are extracted.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSimple? Maybe. Smooth-sailing? Nope. This stubborn South African thoroughbred has been rubbing me the wrong way for wayyyy too long (read below for the full, unfiltered\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eversion), so presenting you with this vintage feels like a personal win.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/8528\/4006\/files\/e788468d1d4813f97b1728a82d7961c3-zoom.jpg?v=1774516035\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s been a mission. For 8 long years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSaint Rand 2018 and 2019 were produced from a bush-vine Pinotage growing in\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDarling,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eon the West Coast. As the wine gained momentum, I was convinced I was onto\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esomething special. Until the farm got sold and the new owner uprooted the vineyard. Just like that - gone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI then discovered an old Pinotage bush-vine vineyard planted in weathered sandstone on the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePiekenierskloof\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emountain range (3.5 hours' drive up the West Coast). For 2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003econsecutive years we gave it our all. But both years lacked finesse and each year the wine did not pass our internal quality control tasting. So we never bottled anything.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNext up (2021 and 2022) was this beautiful, traditional, trellised vineyard planted in a dry river bed on the lower slopes of the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMatroosberg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emountain catchment area. Both\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethese vintages were too light in my opinion. Again, no bottling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then we moved a bit closer to home: the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHelderberg\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Stellenbosch. We found a bit of hope and the first vintage made it through all the quality hoops and straight to\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebottle. Until the new owner uprooted the vineyard. Bam.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith my tail between my legs, I was left broken and defeated by how our only local grape was treating me, so I decided to call it a day. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd then my phone rang: it was Francois, my Boland Landbou boarding school roommate (and vineyard consultant). In\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirgrove\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, about 100 metres from my winery is a block\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof raised, bush-vine Pinotage - a vineyard I must’ve driven past at least a thousand times... Francois was looking to find a new buyer for the grapes. So I decided to give it one\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003emore go. And here you have it:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSaint Rand 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- a wine I am deeply happy with!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe resemblance to the Brazilian novel \"The Alchemist\" where the protagonist travels far, only to discover that the treasure has been within reach all this time, is not lost on\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eme. Right under my nose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blank Bottle","offers":[{"title":"Saint RAND 2025","offer_id":56222264950950,"sku":null,"price":330.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/8528\/4006\/files\/Saint-Rand_c31b0db5-14b5-41fe-97b0-95b299e12e4b.png?v=1752008104","url":"https:\/\/blankbottle.co.za\/products\/saint-rand-2025","provider":"Blankbottle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}