2023 Damascene, Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch, South Africa

The 2023 Cabernet Franc Stellenbosch comes from east-facing vines in a ravine; the fruit takes longer to ripen, but this was picked before the rains. It was fermented slightly warmer to obtain fruité and aged in foudres for 11 months. It has quite a lifted peppermint-scented bouquet that is clean and well-defined if lacking the complexity exuded by the trio of Syrahs. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. Touches of liquorice infuse the black fruit, with a hint of the date on the finish. Not bad, though this is not in the same class as Damascene’s other red cuvées.

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 2025 - 2030