Rhône theme
Timed Online Auction, 30 January - 10 February 2025
Rhône - South Africa
About the SessionOver the past decade South African Rhône-style offerings have witnessed an explosion in popularity, led by the Swartland in the 2010s and subsequently spreading across the Cape.
About this Item
Damascene is a partnership between celebrated Cape winemaker Jean Smit, previously the winemaker at Boekenhoutskloof and David Curl, former owner of Château Gaby in Canon-Fronsac, Bordeaux, now based at Moya Meaker in Elgin. Jean Smit is a rising star in SA winemaking and certainly a winemaker to watch. They seek out unique vineyards and sites across the Western Cape winelands and have created an exciting, pitch-perfect set of wines which are placed amongst the finest in SA, especially with the illustrious collection of site-specific Syrahs. The debut wines were released in 2019, garnering much acclaim and excitement from both local and international wine critics.
Since the inaugural release, the Damascene Stellenbosch Syrah is sourced from the Bottelary and Polkadraai Hills – each site adding a building block to the wine. The vineyard on Polkadraai Hills was planted on a southeast slope in 1996, and contributes perfume and spice to the wine. While the structure and fruit intensity comes from a vineyard of low-yielding granitic soils in the Bottelary.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
'A combination of Polkadraai and Bottelary grapes, winemaking involving multiple fermentations. A compelling nose of red and black berries, black pepper, fynbos, incense and wilted rose. The palate is rich and dense in the best way – intense but not weighty, this has great freshness and lovely ripe tannins in addition to impressive fruit. Super detail and energy, this immediately places among the best in the country.' - Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za, 97/100 (Sept 2019)
'The exciting Damascene project combines Syrah grapes from the Polkadraai and Bottelary to make this decomposed granite-based red. Intense, deeply coloured and smoky, with smooth, textured, palate-caressing tannins, blackberry fruit, some Asian spices and a long, stony finish. Up a point with another year in bottle, this is very promising from Rhône nut Jean Smit. 2021-26.' - Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 94/100
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