Deep burgundy core with purple and ruby flecks. Lifted and aromatic, fresh red and black fruits, a touch of vanilla oak. Some pepper and spice. Complex, intriguing. Rich and generous with layers of fruit notes: ripe mulberry, currant, raspberry. Some milk chocolate. Fine tannins, medium length, very approachable with savoury characters also balancing the fruit intensity.

Pair with lamb, pork and fennel ragu with penne pasta.

After managing a B&B in the south of France, Martin and Vivienne Rawlinson were inspired to establish St John's Road in 2001, with a vision to produce full flavoured, yet elegant, wines which reflect the essence of the Barossa.

The current owners aim to uphold Martin and Vivienne's vision of producing wines that are not only true to the Barossa, but also the sub districts and vineyards they are grown in.

Blood & Courage is St John's Road's interpretation of quintessential Barossa Valley Shiraz. Power with elegance. Full and generous primary fruit flavours skilfully interwoven with oak characteristics from maturation in French oak Barriques and Hogsheads. This classic Barossa Shiraz is fresh and lively, yet rich in texture with subtle oak and soft, well integrated tannins - simply a stylish wine.

The Shiraz fruit for Blood and Courage comes from their Resurrection vineyard in Ebenezer, the Lienert family vineyard in Gomersal, Paul and Angie Schutz's vineyard in Stonewell and Andy Kalleske's vineyard also in Ebenezer. Following harvest which began on the 1st of March in the Schutz vineyard, the grapes were transported to the winery and fermented separately. The individual batches spent an average of 8 days on skins and were fermented at cool temperatures in 10T open stainless-steel fermenters, and 2.5T small batch fermenters. Malolactic fermentation was completed for all blocks in a mix of stainless steel and oak. The wine was then barrelled down to second-fill French oak Barriques and Hogsheads for an average of one year. The wine was then blended prior to bottling and matured in bottle for six months before release.

"The team aim for power with elegance. Maturation was for twelve months in a combination of French oak barriques and hogsheads. The colour here is a deep dark blood red. The aromas swirl through chocolate, spices, herbs, a hint of nutmeg, black fruits, cold tea and bergamot. Focused, with good length, it finishes with slightly grippy tannins. Enjoy any time over the next six to eight years. Drink to 2032."
92 points.
Ken Gargett, Winepilot (December 2024)