Wild Duck Creek Alan’s Cabernets 2022 is a wine of unique character — supremely complex, unfined, unfiltered, and built for the long haul. A blend of four varieties (and sometimes five, when Petit Verdot reaches full ripeness), sourced from a naturally low-yielding vineyard producing less than one kilogram per vine, allowing the berries to develop naturally thick skins of intense texture and aromatic complexity. Gently hand plunged and basket pressed, then matured for 20 months in 100% new French oak hogsheads. Red purple of medium density, with powerful aromatics of crushed blueberry, stone, bay leaf, dried clove, violet, and black bean; a palate of blueberry, olive, boysenberry, graphite, and cinnamon stick with deliciously integrated oak; incredible depth and length despite its medium weight. A star attraction. Cellaring potential of 15 years or more.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Red purple of medium density — the deep, vibrant colour of a Heathcote Cabernet blend from a naturally low-yielding vineyard producing less than one kilogram per vine, with the intensity and definition that naturally thick skins and 20 months in 100% new French oak deliver.
Aroma
Powerful and extraordinarily complex — crushed blueberry, stone, bay leaf, dried clove, violet, and black bean. Aromatics of remarkable intensity and layered complexity that reward time in the glass and speak to the unique character that only this vineyard can give.
Palate
Delicious and deeply layered — blueberry, olive, boysenberry, graphite, and cinnamon stick, with 100% new French oak so deliciously integrated as to be barely noticeable. Incredible depth and length despite its medium weight, with the texture and aromatic complexity that naturally thick skins and careful winemaking deliver. Unfined. Unfiltered.
Pairs With
A natural companion for aged beef, slow-roasted lamb, venison, aged hard cheeses, and the finest Heathcote table — Wild Duck Creek Alan’s Cabernets is a wine that rewards patience above all else. Cellar with confidence for 15 years or more. 14.4% ABV.
Finish
Incredible depth and length — the graphite, blueberry, and cinnamon stick lingering in a long, complex, and deeply satisfying close that makes every glass a reminder of why great Heathcote Cabernet is worth waiting for.
