2021 Collector Marked Tree Red Shiraz, Canberra District

Sometimes, you want to sit with a wine and allow it to unfurl in the glass to best explore its nuances, to allow it to reveal them. Marked Tree Red is such a drink with the immediate fragrant, spicy, whole-bunch character and meaty reduction kick-starting its complex profile. So much here: layers of flavour from red fruits, warm earth and smoky, cured meats to pepper and wood char. A very savoury wine yet the fruit is distinct. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and excellent length. So compelling, so delicious.

95 points Jane Faulkner fro Halliday Wine Companion, Special Value, July 2023

Collector Marked Tree Red Shiraz Canberra District is a benchmark cool climate Shiraz that has helped define the modern identity of the region. Collector Wines was founded by Alex McKay, a Canberra local whose vision was to craft wines that express site, season and structure rather than sheer power. The Marked Tree vineyard sits in the elevated slopes of the Canberra District, where warm days and very cool nights stretch the ripening season. Ancient volcanic soils and a continental climate give Shiraz here a distinctive perfume, fine tannin profile and savoury edge that sets it apart from warmer Australian regions.

The colour is deep crimson with bright purple tones. Aromatically it is lifted and complex, offering dark cherry, blackberry and plum woven through white pepper, star anise and floral violet notes. There is an earthy undertone with hints of graphite and crushed stone that reflects the volcanic terroir. The oak sits quietly in the background, supporting rather than dominating the fruit.

On the palate this is medium bodied yet intense, driven by spice and purity rather than weight. Red and black fruits glide across a finely structured framework of silky tannins and fresh acidity. Layers of pepper, clove and subtle savoury meatiness build through the mid palate, leading to a long, composed finish with mineral persistence. It is elegant, detailed and unmistakably cool climate Shiraz.

This wine shines alongside slow roasted lamb shoulder with native herbs, grilled venison loin with juniper, duck breast with sour cherry glaze or charred beetroot with hazelnut and thyme. While approachable now with a decant, it will reward cellaring for ten to fifteen years, gaining further savoury depth, complexity and textural harmony.