Winery & Vintage Info
Wild Duck Creek Estate is a small family-run winery situated 8km west of Heathcote, alongside the Wild Duck Creek itself. David (aka ‘Duck’) and Diana planted the first vines in 1974 and in 1979 named the first vineyard “Alan’s Cabernet Vineyard”, after Duck’s late father Alan. The “Original Vineyard” was planted in 1988 on land owned by Diana’s parents. Traditional winemaking methods including hand-picking, open fermentation, hand-plunging, basket-pressing, and long-term barrel-ageing are fostered, as is the use biodynamic principles on their own vineyards.
Duck remains adamant however, that it’s still the vineyard and site selection especially, that dictate great wines. Second-generation winemaking has flourished for more than a decade through Liam, whose methodical yet innovative approaches merge fantastically with Duck’s eccentricity – a humorous and brilliant concoction! The estate’s passion is to produce extraordinary wines of balance and power that enrich and delight the senses.
Vintage Conditions
The 2015 release theme would be ‘restrained’. The wines are all still powerful across the board, however the levels of complexity and finesse are even higher. Led by solid winter and spring rains, the work in the vineyard that’s been happening behind the scenes is showing in this release more than ever. Yields were solid from North to South and the weather was not as hot as the two vintages either side - ’14 and ’16. Things really dried out after spring, from October through into summer, right up to vintage which commenced in the 3rd week of February. The vines had to struggle, which in turn, concentrates berry flavour and natural acids. The character of this vintage is the wide spectrum of fruit flavours and its supple complexities, which are exemplified by the fruit intensity (think 2010 vintage). Overall this vintage will go down in cellar based on its balance, restraint and sophistication. It will be a sleeper in your cellar, just wait.
Matured for 22 months in 40% new French and American oak hogsheads. Winery Notes
