2022 | Damascene | Swartland Chenin Blanc

The 2022 Damascene Vineyards Swartland Chenin Blanc is a sleek, vibrant white wine from South Africa packed with lively citrus and rich stone fruit flavors.

Producer Information

Damascene Vineyards is an innovative, highly acclaimed micro-négoce wine project based in South Africa’s Western Cape region, established in 2017 by top-tier winemaker Jean Smit and wine entrepreneur David Curl (former owner of Bordeaux's Château Gaby). Named after the biblical "damascene moment"—referencing a transformative epiphany or shift in perspective—the project was conceived to move away from conventional estate restrictions and instead chart a narrative-driven exploration of South Africa's most exceptional, distinct terroirs. Smit brought a monumental winemaking pedigree to the venture, having honed his craft at global institutions like DuMOL in the Russian River Valley, Stéphane Ogier in Côte-Rôtie, and Larkmead in Napa Valley, before spending close to a decade as the master senior winemaker at the iconic Boekenhoutskloof estate. Operating out of their custom cellar in Elgin, Damascene focuses strictly on high-altitude, low-yielding, and historic vineyard sites, including a landmark Franschhoek bush-vine Sémillon block planted in 1942, mountainous granite and schist pockets in the Swartland, and iron-dense, rocky plots across Stellenbosch and the high-altitude Ceres Plateau. In the cellar, Smit implements a non-interventionist, meticulously transparent winemaking philosophy: fruit is fermented with 100% indigenous wild yeasts and aged primarily in large, traditional 1,000- and 2,000-liter oval Austrian foudres to safeguard pure varietal character without excessive oak influence. This minimalist craftsmanship yields a pitch-perfect, highly allocated portfolio of Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon that seamlessly balances structural opulence with a tense, bracing minerality and deep regional clarity, instantly solidifying Damascene as one of the definitive benchmarks of the modern South African fine wine movement.

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