A passionate and particularly dynamic winemaker, Jean Smit worked at Rustenberg and Boekenhoutskloof in South Africa, following his experience with prestigious wineries in California and in the iconic vineyards of Stéphane Ogier in Côte Rôtie. Throughout these years, Jean developed his own vision of wine and winemaking, striving to focus on the authentic, natural expression of the terroir. Damascene crafts wines from Syrah, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grown in unforgettable vineyards in Stellenbosch, Swartland, Franschhoek, Ceres Plateau, and Cederberg.
The modern, perfectly designed winery is the perfect place to implement Jean's balanced philosophy. The grapes are placed in a cold room when they arrive there and gravity moves into the concrete vats where fermentation starts due to the yeast naturally present on the grape skins. The red wines age in 2,000-litre Austrian oak barrels and the white wines in 1,000-litre barrels. The wines spends 10 to 11 months ageing before being bottled just after Christmas. No sulphur is used in the winemaking process until a dose is added just before bottling.
When Jean is not in the winery, he is scouring the Western Cape, in South Africa’s south-west region, looking for passionate winemakers producing premium quality grapes. This region enjoys a Mediterranean climate, ocean winds and a wide variety of soils. Covering over 40,000 kilometres each year, Jean unearths parcels with highly distinctive terroir expressions, which he conveys to perfection in each of his cuvées.

Reputed to be a subtle grape variety easy to work with, Syrah creates powerful, intensely flavoursome and fruity red wines. These Syrah vines enjoy healthy, responsible viticulture in the heart of the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. In the winery, each step is completed with minimum intervention. Fermentations are achieved using indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes. Lastly, the wine is aged in oak casks for several months before being carefully bottled.
The wine boasts an intense ruby colour with touches of purple. The highly aromatic nose is characterised by black fruits such as blackberry and blackcurrant, interspersed with hints of pepper and spice. In the mouth, the perfectly structured tannins lead to a long and flavoursome finish. This wine offers great ageing potential, developing its full range of delicious aromas after a few years.