2023 Damascene, Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Swartland, South Africa
Critics reviews
The 2023 Chenin Blanc Swartland comes from vines planted on granite soils in 1979 and 1983, matured for 11 months in 1,000-litre oval foudres. Sulfur is only added before bottling. This has a well-defined bouquet that’s perhaps a little more mineral-driven than the previous vintage. The palate is nicely balanced, with a slightly creamy feel on the opening. There is plenty of texture here and a touch of bitter lemon on the finish. Very fine.
Jean Smit welcomed me to Damascene, which I visited for the first time last year. I asked Smit about the vintage in question. “Twenty-three is a vintage where people who make proper wines are the ones to follow. We had a drought in winter and then thunderstorms in December that gave us [vine] growth. We had to spray to prevent mildew and oïdium, and then we got the rains at the end of March.”
These latest releases, mostly though not exclusively from the 2023 vintage, reinforce Damascene as one of the finest estates in South Africa. There is an attention to detail and meticulousness here that I feel comes from Smit himself and is translated into the wines, just the Cabernet Franc behind the pack. Readers should look out for the Semillon Old Bush Vines Franschhoek, Chenin Blanc Old Bush Vines Stellenbosch, though the crowning glory is the Syrah from Swartland.
Drink 2024 - 2034
Neil Martin, Vinous.com (September 2024)
About this WINE
Damascene Vineyards
Damascene is the shared project of Jean Smit, former winemaker at Boekenhoutskloof and Canadian entrepreneur (and former owner of Château Gaby) David Curl. Together, they scour South Africa for outstanding, well-established vineyards to produce Damascene’s wines – each one displaying the regional variety of South Africa’s wine regions. Jean and David select only the finest performing vineyards, so the wines are produced in particularly small quantities. The wines are all regional, varietal examples, showcasing these South African wines in their purest forms. From the rich peach and almond palate of the Swartland Chenin Blanc to the elegant cranberry and black cherry notes of the Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon, the scope of this country’s renowned viticulture is palpable in these bottles.
Swartland
After Stellenbosch, the west coast district of Swartland (25 miles due north of Cape Town, between the towns of Malmesbury and Piketberg) now ranks as the Cape's most exciting wine-producing district.
Settled initially by nomadic Khoikhoi from Namibia, the Dutch brought trade and vines to the region in the 17th century. Viticulture was developed only more recently.This contrasts with an ancient geology which has brought a mix of shale, arenite sandstone and granite soils air-conditioned by the Atlantic Ocean nearby.
Chenin Blanc and Shiraz seem to do best, as exemplified by the wines of Eben Sadie and Mullineux.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is an important white grape variety planted in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley and the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa.
In the Loire it produces high quality dry wines in Savenniéres, and luscious sweet, dessert wines in Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. In Vouvray and Montlouis it can be dry, medium dry, or sweet, and still or sparkling. Whether dry or sweet, the best Loire Chenin Blancs possess marvellously concentrated rich, honeyed fruit together with refreshingly vibrant acidity. It is Chenin Blanc's high acidity that enable the wines to age so well.
In South Africa Chenin Blanc is easier to grow and is prized for its versatility. It is used as a cheap blending option with Chardonnay, Colombard, and Muscat but also bottled unblended. The best producers keep their yields low and produce impressive mouthfilling wines.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
The 2023 Chenin Blanc Swartland comes from vines planted on granite soils in 1979 and 1983, matured for 11 months in 1,000-litre oval foudres. Sulfur is only added before bottling. This has a well-defined bouquet that’s perhaps a little more mineral-driven than the previous vintage. The palate is nicely balanced, with a slightly creamy feel on the opening. There is plenty of texture here and a touch of bitter lemon on the finish. Very fine.
Drink 2024 - 2034
Neil Martin, Vinous.com (September 2024)
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