Domaine Damascene

Damascene is a project launched in 2018 by winemaker Jean Smit, who, after gaining experience at vineyards abroad, decided to return to South Africa. There, he acquired numerous high-quality vineyards around the Cape, some of which are among the oldest planted in South Africa. The wines are vinified in Elgin, where transfers are carried out exclusively by gravity, and where the tanks are designed to keep the cap of pomace submerged, thus avoiding any unnecessary manipulation and allowing the wine to express itself naturally. The whites are whole-cluster pressed, then fermented and aged in 1,000-liter casks, while the reds are vinified from whole clusters and primarily aged in 2,000-liter casks. The philosophy behind Damascene is to tell the story, not of the owners or marketing trends, but of the vineyards themselves.