Tasting this Saturday in Brisbane - Wild Duck Creek

[Michael McNally]

For SEQ forumites

David (Duck) Anderson dropped off my annual order from Wild Duck Creek Estate this morning. I am not sure how many winemakers make dedicated trips to deliver their wine to their customers, but I would wager it's not many. And happy to stop and have a coffee and a chat.

After visiting his customers on the Sunshine Coast, Dave will be back in Brisbane on Saturday and is opening up a bottle or two of pretty much his entire range at a mate's place. He does this for his customers as many put their wines away for some time and he wants to show them what they are cellaring. Again an exceptional standard of customer service (or he might just like drinking his own wine!).

He is happy for a couple of forumites who might be interested in trying his wines to come along. It is in Rochedale, so pretty close to the Gold Coast as well. The tasting is from 11am-2pm this Saturday. PM me if you are interested and I will send you the address.

Cheers

Michael

[Luke W]

Last year's Reserve Shiraz was one of the best wines I drank last year.......

[Michael R]

Nice one for sharing this Michael...what an fantastic tasting opportunity.
Had the 07 Duck Muck earlier this year and was blown away by how balanced and drinkable it was at such a young age. Plus had an 05 Reserve Shiraz which showed well.

I know bacchaebabe has been thinking about arranging a similar tasting opportunity in Sydney, but has been too busy globe-trotting the world finest restaurants to finalise

Or perhaps its happened and i never got the nod

Cheers
Michael

[dave vino]

In brissie at the moment would be keen to have a look with a mate

[Michael McNally]

In brissie at the moment would be keen to have a look with a mate

PM sent

[redstuff]

Holy crap. Missed it by "that much".

[dave vino]

Had a great afternoon. Really enjoyed the wines and hospitality. Was good to put some names to faces, felt bad about the enthusiasm for wine but absence of regular wine tastings up here. Come on guys!! I nominate Mick to be the man start a wine group up here

Dave Duck was a gentleman and a scholar, it was a privilege to be able to talk to him for the afternoon about his sensational wines. The Springflat was fantastic (WOTN). The Drake and Duck and Allans's Cabernet (?) were all very good and the very approachable VP rounded off a great tasting. Can't believe he was heading off tonight back to Victoria tonight, drive safe mate.

[winenovice]

I am both surprised and pleased that he made such an effort.

When reading articles of Dave Duck personally delivering wines, one would think that it would be limited to only Victoria, and that at only certain regions. It must be something, getting your wine delivered by the actual winemaker, especially one that has such a status.

Do you guys know how the wine is transported, as to guarantee provenance?

John

[rens]

Yes it was great to try wild duck creek wines. For me the Springflat, Reserve and VP were the standouts and thanks to Dave vino for the opportunity to try the 1993 Wendouree cabernet malbec-a nice old girl that provided a nice alternative to the young Wild Duck Creek wines. Dave vino also gave Michael and I a great insight into some of the workings of the grape mates and Rare wine dinners.
Dave duck Anderson was a delight. He was more than happy to spend time talking about his wines and happy to answer any questions the guests had. He also brought out a nice old unlabeled Tokay that had a wonderful depth of flavour and lingering finish that it makes me want to revisit tokays as I think I may be missing out on something there.

[Michael McNally]

A lovely afternoon trying some good wines with nice folks. I thought the Springflat was a class wine (which is reassuring as I have bought 8!), but the VP is just so approachable and beguiling I may have to get more. The Sparkling Duck (no. 6) was the driest splurgundy I have had in some time, if not ever.

It was nice to meet Sydney based forumite Dave Vino and his mate Colin (even if they are both Liverpool supporters). The 93 Wendouree was interesting, but I think challenged by the youth of the wines we had been trying and the fact that it was opened and poured straight into the glasses. A decent decant and some time to breathe and it could have been marvellous.

Dave (Duck) was talking about doing a dinner and Springflat vertical in Brisbane sometime, which would be great.

Cheers

Michael

PS John, he had a Transporter which was like an oversize van. Apparently it was chockers when it left Heathcote! The air-con would keep the wine cool during the day.

[winenovice]

It was nice to meet Sydney based forumite Dave Vino and his mate Colin (even if they are both Liverpool supporters).

Who do you barrack for Michael? It's great that the truth regarding Hillsborough is finally out.

Can't say the same about the minute section of Utd supporters at OT during the Wigan game, this occurred in spite of Sir Alex's warnings.

[Mahmoud Ali]

David Anderson is a great guy, I met him at cellar door back in 2001 when the winery was still under construction. There were still no doors on the winery and it was quite chilly on the winter's day. I had called for directions to the and despite the fact that he was going to be busy bottling that day he still invited me over.

When we arrived David was busy in the back shed looking for the empty bottles he was going to fill but a wine hand immediately took us into the unfinished winery and opened a bottle of Springflat Shiraz. When David arrived my partner and I, and a visitor from Chicago who also turned up, drank the wine, got the tour while sampling wines from tank and cask, including the about to be bottled Duck Muck.

My partner and I ended up helping with the bottling of the Duck Muck, my partner with the sulpher spray, a wine hand with the filling, and me with the bottling. It was a manually operated bottler, where a cork dispenser dropped the cork, I took hold of the filled bottle and set it a recess under the waiting cork, and then stepped on a pedal to set off the corking action. We filled magnums and half bottles of Duck Muck, all the while drinking the wine. Some of David's growers arrived so David procured a few regular bottles to be fill and corked, which I did, then he disappeared into his office and applied front labels on the bottles and reappeared. A wine hand then opened the bottles and served them to the highly appreciative growers. It was simutaneously classy and amusing.

It was earlier that year that Robert Parker raved about the Duck Muck, perhaps giving it a 100 points, with the result that point chasers drove up the price. A Winestate magazine front cover had a bottle of Duck Muck on the cover with an $800 price tag.

When we left David presented my partner with an autographed half-bottle of Duck Muck with a front label that I had corked. We took the bottle to Canada and still have it. Not sure when we will drink it but I think as a half bottle it should be sooner rather than later. If anybody has any ideas please let me know keeping in mind that I prefer mature wines with plenty of tertiary character.

Although Wild Duck Creek wines were at the time being imported into Canada I never saw a bottle of the Duck Muck.

Cheers...............................Mahmoud.