2021 Wild Duck Creek Rose, Heathcote

Wild Duck Creek Rosé from Heathcote is a quietly distinctive Australian rosé that carries far more depth and personality than its pale colour suggests. Heathcote’s ancient Cambrian soils, some of the oldest on earth, are rich in ironstone and minerals, and while the region is best known for powerful Shiraz, those same soils also give rosé a savoury backbone and natural intensity. Warm days are tempered by cooling evening breezes, helping retain freshness while building flavour.

Wild Duck Creek Estate is led by the Duckett family, with Andrew Duckett at the helm, a fiercely independent and hands on winemaker known for doing things his own way. Rosé here is not an afterthought. It is treated with the same seriousness as the estate’s reds, made in small quantities and focused on texture, balance and food friendliness rather than simple refreshment.

In the glass, the wine shows a delicate pink hue with a subtle copper edge. Aromas are refined and layered rather than overt. Wild strawberry, raspberry and watermelon sit alongside rose petal, blood orange and a gentle herbal note. There is a faint earthy and mineral undertone that speaks clearly of Heathcote’s soils.

On the palate, Wild Duck Creek Rosé is dry, savoury and beautifully composed. Red berry and citrus flavours move across a fine, lightly textured palate, supported by fresh acidity and a subtle phenolic grip that gives the wine shape and length. It feels more structured and serious than many rosés, finishing clean, dry and gently spicy with lingering mineral freshness.

This is a rosé that really comes into its own at the table. It pairs beautifully with charcuterie, grilled vegetables, seafood, roast chicken or Mediterranean dishes where texture and savoury detail matter. Drink it chilled but not icy cold to allow its complexity to show. While delicious now, it will also hold comfortably over the next couple of years.

Wild Duck Creek Rosé is thoughtful, distinctive and unmistakably Heathcote. A rosé for people who like their pink wines dry, textured and quietly serious, with real sense of place.