The 2021 Wild Duck Creek Estate Duck Muck Shiraz is the latest release of one of Australia’s most legendary and collectible cult wines. Produced only in select vintages and in extremely limited quantities, Duck Muck is sourced from a combination of the estate’s oldest, lowest-yielding Shiraz vines — most notably the iconic Maya Block — planted in the deep, ancient Cambrian soils of Heathcote. These vines yield tiny berries of immense concentration, forming the foundation for this powerful and opulent wine.
The 2021 vintage in Heathcote was exceptional, offering a long, mild season with excellent rainfall distribution. Conditions were ideal for Shiraz: slow, even ripening, superb fruit health, and naturally high colour and tannin development. The resulting Duck Muck displays incredible purity, vibrancy and balance while preserving the signature density and scale the wine is known for.
The nose is explosive and seductive, filled with aromas of blackberry coulis, black cherry, blueberry, plum conserve, licorice, espresso roast, dark chocolate, and warm spice. Subtle notes of violets, graphite, charcuterie and sweet oak add further dimension, showcasing both vineyard pedigree and meticulous barrel selection.
On the palate, the 2021 Duck Muck is monumental yet beautifully composed. It delivers layers of rich black and blue fruits wrapped in plush, mouth-coating tannins. Despite its sheer density, the wine retains superb lift and definition, driven by fresh acidity from the cool conditions of the season. French and American oak maturation is seamlessly integrated, contributing flavours of vanilla bean, cocoa, clove and smoky spice. The finish is extraordinarily long and powerful, with lingering notes of blackberry, mocha, licorice and savoury earth.
Still a young, commanding wine, the 2021 Duck Muck has decades of evolution ahead of it. With time, it will develop further layers of roasted meat, leather, dried herbs and complex tertiary notes, rewarding both collectors and lovers of bold Australian Shiraz.
Region: Heathcote, Victoria
Variety: Shiraz
Alcohol: Typically 15%+
Drinking Window: 2025 – 2050+
A monumental cult Shiraz — the 2021 Duck Muck is a profound, long-lived release that combines power, richness and exceptional vineyard expression.
