Damascene Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2023
Standard - 75cl
ETA: 5-7 weeks
- Vintage2023
- ColourWhite
- ProducerDamascene
- CountrySouth Africa
- RegionCoastal Region
- Sub RegionStellenbosch
- DesignationWO
- Bottle SizeStandard - 75cl
- ABV13.5
- LWIN24358862023
- Avg. Critic Score4.2★★★★★★★★★★
Wine Critic Reviews
With fruit from old bush vines, the Damascene 2023 Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc is luminous and bright with lifted aromas of quince, peach and summer-ripe apricot. A little motto on the back label reads, "less cult, more cultivation." That adequately sums up the philosophy of this detail-minded estate. The wine is incredibly linear and precise. The vineyards have granite, graywacke sandstone and shale soils and were planted in phases in 1972, 1980 and 1981. This release of 2,985 bottles matures in 1,000-liter oval Austrian oak vats for 11 months. This is beauty.
- Drinking Window: 2024 - 2035
- Reviewer Name: Monica Larner
Jean Smit gets his Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc from three old-vine parcels in the Bottelary Hills on shale, Greywacke and granite soils. Mealy, waxy and stony, it's a savoury, bone-dry expression of the variety with lime and yellow apple flavours and a refreshing mineral core. The Stockinger foudres add a sheen of class. 2025-31
- Drinking Window: 2025 - 2031
- Reviewer Name: Tim Atin MW
The 2023 Chenin Blanc Old Bush Vines Stellenbosch comes from vines along the Bottelary Ridge with various orientations on different soil types. In 2023, Jean Smit felt that it needed more granitic soils in the blend. This is fresh and bright on the nose, more citrus-driven than its Swartland counterpart, with just a touch of orange pith developing with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a keen line of acidity. Touches of peach and nectarine and a hint of lemongrass lift the finish. This has a little more vigor than the Swartland this year.
- Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035
- Reviewer Name: Neal Martin