Wild Duck Special: 2009 Both Banks Two !!

At the Ducru-Beaucaillou dinner on 6th March 2011 at Imperial Treasure, Great World City, I was privileged to find myself sitting at the same table with The Duck himself, Mr David Anderson, winemaker of Wild Duck Creek Estate from Heathcote, Victoria, famous for its flagship Duck Muck shiraz which I’ve yet to have the opportunity to taste. Dave was here to spend time with his group of Singaporean friends who are Melbourne alumni, and he’d specially blended a barrel of 2009 cabernet sauvignon (with about 5% cabernet franc, that’s it) for his friends, of which he’d brought a single bottle over to Singapore. The name came about as Dave couldn’t care less about the perpetual arguments amongst his friends concerning the merits between the wines of the Left and Right banks. Apparently, he’d done this before; hence, this is version Two.

We drank this right at the end of the Ducru-Beaucaillou wines, having decanted it on-site for almost an hour. Dark ruby with a vermillion glow at the rim. Powerful bouquet of nugmet, plum and, stangely, preserved pickles but it was, admittedly, very unique and attractive. Medium-full, surprisingly accessible with very good concentration of predominantly red fruits, fairly broad and transparent on the palate instead of the usual saturated density one might expect from an Aussie that’s fresh out of the barrel, finishing with reasonable length. The fact that it is showing so well right after a tour de force by the St Julien second growth is testament to the skill of Dave Anderson. This is one event that I’ll never forget.