Damascene Syrah Swartland 2021

But after many long conversations about life, the meaning of quality, and the philosophical search for what wine should be (rather than what it is) they were both convinced that their collaboration would not end there. Within six months, Damascene was conceived; a series of wines that would tell the story, not of their owners, or marketing trends, but of the very vineyards themselves. Damascene wines are about telling stories. They’re born to express the way that man and place collaborate to form narrative. Both vineyard and viticulturist play a role in the story. The winemaker plays the role of editor, and each of our wines tells of their own adventure.

‘From three divergent Swartland sites. Soils of granite, schist, shale and ferricrete act as building blocks to achieve, striking, harmonious balance. The purity, perfume and spice of granite-grown fruit is complemented by the more earthy tones of grapes harvested from shale and schist outcrops, imbuing the wine with structure and depth. Light, bright aromas from whole cluster fermentation (75%) has captured the essence and concentration of the low-yielding sites: wild forest berries, plum skin, and cherries with a savoury undercurrent of meaty-spice. The palate is elegant and fine, cossetted in powdery tannins. The brightness of fruit evolves to more savoury notes with a core of dense black cherries and almond, fanning out into tomato leaf and black olive, with the driven acidity persisting well into the finish. Black cherry notes linger leisurely. Distinctly Swartland.’ – Winemaker