Wild Duck Creek Ducks & Drakes 2023 is a full-bodied Heathcote red blending 89% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 20 months in French oak, it delivers concentrated sweet black fruits, cedar, toasted oak spices and fine Cabernet tannins — a structured, cellar-worthy wine from one of Heathcote's most distinctive estates. Rated 93 Points by Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion.
Tasting Notes
Sweet, ripe black fruits en masse with cedar, toasted oak spices, jalapeño, dried herbs, chocolate and red earth. Fine Cabernet tannins bring structure and a sense of easy-flowing elegance to the palate in what is a full-bodied style.
Vineyard & Heathcote
Fruit was grown in the warmer northern part of the Heathcote region. Heathcote's ancient Cambrian greenstone soils — among the oldest on earth — are prized for producing Cabernet and Shiraz of exceptional concentration and structure. Wild Duck Creek Estate is one of the region's benchmark producers.
Winemaking
The 2023 Ducks & Drakes is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc, vinified separately and fermented in stainless steel. The wine was then matured for 20 months in French oak, 40% new, building cedar, toasted spice and structural depth while preserving fruit integrity.
Cellaring & Serving
Drinking well from 2025 and built to develop through to 2037. As with all Ducks & Drakes releases, further ageing is well rewarded. Serve at 16–18°C.
Food Pairing
A natural match for grilled lamb, beef fillet, slow-braised short ribs and hard aged cheeses. The wine's structure and fruit concentration make it an excellent companion for richly flavoured red meat dishes.
Reviews
"89/11% cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc; grown in the warmer north of the region, vinified separately, fermentation in stainless steel, 20 months' maturation in French oak (40% new). A mighty big mouthful of flavour nicely defined and trimmed in cedary French oak. Sweet, ripe, black fruits en masse with toasted oak spices, jalapeño, dried herbs, chocolate and red earth. Fine cabernet tannins bring structure and a sense of easy-flowing elegance to the palate in what is a full-bodied style. And in keeping with the D&D style, expect that further ageing will go down well."
93 Points - Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion, 24 October 2025
