Bodegas Ego, 'El Goru' 38 Barrels, Jumilla, Spain, 2020

Overview of the Wine
To make bold, ripe, powerful wines, you need a warm climate with plenty of sun—and it’s hard to find a sunnier, warmer winegrowing region than Jumilla, in southeastern Spain.

Two hours south of—and even hotter than—sun-soaked Valencia, Ego Bodegas is quickly staking a claim as one of the finest producers in Jumilla. Their old vines dig into the dark, limestone-studded soil, and they produce reds that wow us with their concentration and rich blue and black fruit.

Ego’s Goru Gold has become one of our most in-demand Spanish reds, and their Goru 38—a limited selection cuvée of top lots of Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre), Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon—is a stunner that lives a distinct step up the quality ladder. The Decanter World Wine Awards bestowed 96 points and a gold medal on this wine, lauding it as “beautifully turned out,” with “great verve and drive.”

Monastrell thrives in the searing climes of Jumilla, which receives 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and ripens beautifully while keeping a lively streak of acidity thanks to the area’s high elevation and wide diurnal temperature swings. The results, the late Josh Raynolds of Vinous said, are “deeply fruity, concentrated, and highly perfumed wines that deliver immediate pleasure for ridiculously low prices”—and that perfectly describes the Goru 38 Barrels.

Santos Ortiz and Ioana Paunescu, who launched Ego Bodegas in 2011, have a simple philosophy at the heart of their business: deliver high-quality wines at bargain prices. In less than a decade, the pair has made serious headway in Jumilla, crafting bottlings that not only drink wonderfully upon release but will reward you if you stash them in your cellar for a few years.

Grape/ Blend
85% Monastrell, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

Origin
Jumilla, Spain

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Dark ruby-black center with crimson tones at the rim. The nose is rich and powerful, with plenty of black plums, crushed blackberries, and wild-herb aromatics. The palate flashes tones of licorice, violets, pepper, and raw cocoa, with a fleshy, round feel and savory olive overtones on the finish. Excellent concentration and density for a wine at this price point. Drink now–2033.

96 Points - Decanter World Wine Awards
Ripe aromas of black cherry and blackcurrant with some dusty cinnamon spice. There is great verve and drive in the mouth with notes of blackcurrant leaves, blackcurrants and dark cherries, soft and round tannins and lively acidity. Beautifully turned out, big, structured and carries its alcohol well.