Wild Duck Creek Mallard Riesling 2025 is a textural dry Riesling of genuine complexity and site-driven character — a blend of two cool Heathcote vineyards, the first at Spring Plains on Heathcote’s southernmost border and the second at Tooborac on the south-eastern border. Both sites bring a lengthening of the ripening period that retains beautiful natural acidity and produces a Riesling full of citrus zest, limestone minerality, and a thrilling tart finish. Cellar with confidence for up to 8 years. 12.6% ABV.
Appearance
Pale straw with a bright, luminous clarity — the hallmark of a cool-site Victorian Riesling of exceptional precision and freshness.
Aroma
The aromas leap from the glass — lime and limestone lead with vivid definition, with curd and green apple adding textural complexity and a cool-climate freshness that is immediately compelling.
Palate
Beautiful natural acidity frames the palate with precision and energy, delivering pink grapefruit flavours and cumquat nuances of genuine depth and interest. The texture is generous and engaging — the result of a short skin contact pre-fermentation and 20% barrel fermentation in new French oak puncheon — all leading to a thrilling tart and pithy finish of excellent length.
Pairs With
Grilled barramundi, lemon-dressed oysters, Thai green curry, soft goat’s cheese, and Vietnamese-style salads. A versatile and food-friendly Riesling that rewards the table as much as the cellar.
The Mallard Riesling is sourced from two cool vineyard sites on Heathcote’s southern and south-eastern borders — Spring Plains and Tooborac — where the extended ripening season preserves the natural acidity and citrus character that define this wine. A short period of skin contact pre-fermentation adds texture and complexity, before 20% of the wine is fermented in a new French oak puncheon and the remainder in stainless steel temperature-controlled tanks. The combination of oak and stainless fermentation delivers a Riesling of genuine textural interest and aromatic precision, with the natural acidity providing the structure and freshness for cellaring of up to 8 years.
Vintage Conditions
The 2025 vintage from the cool southern and south-eastern borders of Heathcote — at Spring Plains and Tooborac — delivered Riesling of excellent natural balance, with the cool valley sites providing the extended ripening period and cleansing natural acidity that are the hallmarks of the Mallard style. The season produced fruit of vibrant citrus character, limestone minerality, and the tart, pithy finish that makes this wine such compelling drinking now and such a rewarding proposition for the cellar.
