Happy Harry’s Direct Offer No. 43

Wild Duck Creek Estate

In our travels seeking out new wines to bring into North Dakota we came across a new estate winery that we couldn’t pass up all the way from the Heathcote Wine Region of Victoria, Australia. The Heathcote Wine Region is nestled between the Goulburn Valley and Bendigo regions and is famous for its Shiraz production. Shiraz is the unchallenged king of Heathcote wines, characterized by their rich and deep aroma profile, a dark, almost inky color, velvety tannins and an amazingly long finish.

Just 100 kilometers (62 miles) north from the state capital, Melbourne and north of the Great Dividing Range the region is at elevations between 160 and 380 meters (520 and 1,250 ft). The climate and soils are strongly influenced by the Mt Camel range that extends from Corop to Tooborac. For the most part, the soil under vine is Cambrian – red and deep with excellent water holding capacity. The region’s rainfall is evenly distributed between the seasons and the temperature range is defined as temperate, with cooling winds emanating from the south resulting in summer temperatures two to three degrees cooler than nearby Bendigo.

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. Duck and Diana have three children – Liam, Ngaire and Bridie. 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 our 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! Their passion is to produce extraordinary wines of balance and power that enrich and delight the senses at a very reasonable price for all to enjoy!

Wild Duck Creek– Springflat Shiraz—2021

Springflat Shiraz is their original flagship wine. It is a blend of 5 distinct estate grown vineyards in the Heathcote region. Parcels of fruit are made separately, utilising a small amount of whole bunches in the ferments for added texture, hand plunged, basket pressed and then matured in French and American oak hogsheads for up to 22 months, 40% of which are new.

Intense aromas of bright red fruits, chocolate and strawberry creams. It has it all. The palate is dense and luxurious. Reminiscent of the smell fresh pastries wafting from a French patisserie, combining creaminess and silky yet dense red fruits. Complexity abounds here, with bright natural acids giving a lovely clean finish. Utterly drinkable now, but you’ll want to save some in your collection.

Happy Harry’s Direct Exclusive Offer

Direct Price – $37.97

Retail Price – $49.99

Wild Duck Creek—Ducks and Drakes Cabernet/Cabernet Franc—2020

They think of this wine as the sister to Springflat Shiraz. Luscious and textural, the Ducks & Drakes blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc delivers all their classic characters in a very “Heathcote” style. The grapes are fully de-stemmed, then fermented in open fermenters, gently hand plunged and pumped over to soften tannins, then basket pressed into French and American oak barriques, hogsheads and puncheons, 40% of which are new.

The wine is full bodied, luscious and driven. It is a vivid red in colour, with lifted aromas of black fruits and tobacco. The palate is rich and full of blackberry liqueur, bay leaf and olive tapenade flavours. This wine has a structure that builds up over time, with layers of lovely Cabernet tannins wrapping around the succulent fruit flavours. A wine that can be carefully cellared for up to 15 years.

Wild Duck Creek—Ducks and Drakes Cabernet/Cabernet Franc—2020 is now Sold Out – Thank you

Happy Harry’s Direct Exclusive Offer

Direct Price – $24.97

Retail Price – $34.99

Due to the limited availability of some offerings, all orders must be placed directly thru the following form. All offerings available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Filling out the form does not guarantee the offer. Upon completing the form, a Happy Harry’s associate will follow-up via email with more information. All orders must be picked up and purchased at the store of your choice. These orders are only available thru this Happy Harry’s DIRECT order form. Happy Harry’s DIRECT offers are not available to purchase in-store”