Damascene Vineyards
Less Cult, More Cultivation
Jean Smit is an outstanding winemaker who has worked shoulder to shoulder with top enologists from Napa Valley (Larkmead Vineyards) and Russian River Valley (DuMOL), Cote-Rotie (Stéphane Ogier) and Marlborough (Wither Hills).
And that's just the international experience.
Back home in South Africa, he was head of the Rustenberg estate and for almost 10 years was head at the iconic Boekenhoutskloof farm from Stellenbosch.
Damascene is the culmination and summation of Jean's years of experience and his commitment to creating wines that reveal the real stories of the vineyards.
The founders of Damascene came together around three principles:
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The pursuit of excellence
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A spirit of discovery
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Care for nature through organic farming
Damascene Vineyards is a project that brings together the best vineyards in the Western Cape, in particular the Stellenbosch, Swartland and Franschhoek regions.
They are recognized as some of the oldest in their respective areas and are cultivated by hand without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Damascene wines are stories. They express the interaction between man and nature, creating a unique narrative. In each wine, the winemaker plays the role of editor, and the wines themselves convey the spirit of the vineyard. Each bottle of Damascene is not just a wine, but a story about a particular place and its characteristics.
