Wild Duck Creek, Springflat Shiraz

Wild Duck Creek, Springflat ShirazWild Duck Creeks offerings can be the most concentrated and wickedly wild wines of Heathcote, but this vintage appears to have tamed some of this winerys fire and brimstone characteristics. However, at 16% alcohol, the 2003 Shiraz Springflat is no wimp. It exhibits surprising minerality along with crisp acidity as well as loads of blackberry and cassis fruit interwoven with background floral and new oak notes. Spicy, deep, medium to full bodied, and

lemony and quite serious finish that displays excellent length

anise and clove plus discreet mineral nuances that are set off by enough wood to warrant mentioning

Reddish tawny colour

with a spicy overtone

Now that the vineyard and the family's understanding of it have reached maturity

A cooler and very pure nose freely offers up its aromas of spice

red berry and leafy sensation in the finish

visited their vineyards in Gualtallary and jumped into different pits in the soil to see the differences in terroir

all beautifully defined

Haag essayed some selective picking for Beerenauslese

This is one of the best 1985s I have tasted from Sauternes

Here too the medium weight flavors possess good richness and power along with an appealing sense of tension that suffuses the more persistent if more rustic finale