Original: $61.99
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$21.70The Story
If you think of South African reds as big and sunny, this one will reset your expectations. Damascene is the project of winemaker Jean Smit (formerly of Boekenhoutskloof), and his single-varietal Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch is a study in restraint. The fruit comes from cool, high, east-facing slopes on decomposed-granite soils, and Smit ferments with native yeasts and ages in large-format French oak vats rather than new barriques, keeping the wine transparent and fresh. The result reads more like a cool-vintage Loire Cabernet Franc or a graceful right-bank Bordeaux than a New World red: leafy, savory, and elegant, with structure that rewards a decant now or a few more years in the cellar.
Description
If you think of South African reds as big and sunny, this one will reset your expectations. Damascene is the project of winemaker Jean Smit (formerly of Boekenhoutskloof), and his single-varietal Cabernet Franc from Stellenbosch is a study in restraint. The fruit comes from cool, high, east-facing slopes on decomposed-granite soils, and Smit ferments with native yeasts and ages in large-format French oak vats rather than new barriques, keeping the wine transparent and fresh. The result reads more like a cool-vintage Loire Cabernet Franc or a graceful right-bank Bordeaux than a New World red: leafy, savory, and elegant, with structure that rewards a decant now or a few more years in the cellar.
