Saturday, August 15, 2026 red wine review is a delicious blend that is predominantly Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre), with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in support. This vegan-friendly wine arrived at the LCBO a couple of weeks ago and was featured on the back cover of the recent LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.
It is produced by Ego Bodegas, a small, independently owned winery that was founded in 2011 by the husband-and-wife team of Santos Ortiz and Ioana Paunescu. Santos is Spanish, while Ioana is originally from Romania, and together they settled in the Jumilla wine region of southeastern Spain, not far from the historic centre of Jumilla. The project was born from their passion and determination to produce high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of Jumilla.
Santos and Ioana fell in love with a spectacular farm in the elevated area of Hoya Torres in Jumilla, locally known as the carpenter's place. The property offered a naturally beautiful landscape surrounded by old vineyards planted to Monastrell. Their approach was to build the winery project from the top down — or, more accurately, to build a commercially viable wine business from the ground up. In order to achieve their objectives of sales and profitability, they sought to find the right balance between three core concepts: Quality, Image, and Price. After two years of hard work, the couple launched Ego Bodegas, a wine brand based on the philosophy of ego, talento, and infinito — or self, talent, and infinity — reflecting their passion, learning, and dreams without limits.
From the very beginning, Ego Bodegas has taken a contemporary approach to winemaking, combining traditional methods with modern techniques. With modern winemaking facilities and a culture of constant improvement, they strive to balance innovation with consumer demand while maintaining quality. Today, they have 35 hectares of vineyards, most of which are planted to native varieties, with a particular focus on Monastrell, which is exceptionally well adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of Jumilla. The soils are dark and calcareous, with good permeability and moisture-retention properties that help the vines endure periods of drought. The climate is continental and arid, influenced by the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the plateau of La Mancha to the west. The region also receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the driest wine-growing areas in Spain. While the portfolio has expanded in recent years to include wines made from other varieties, Monastrell remains central to Ego Bodegas as they continue to innovate and craft wines of excellence.
Like the 2020 El Goru Gold Mad Hairy Fella I enjoyed last year, this red wine is a blend of 3 varieties, similarly composed of approximately 80% Monastrell, 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were hand-harvested and selected through a strict field-selection process. Upon arriving at the winery, the grapes were carefully macerated until the desired wine profile was achieved. Throughout the process, a pump-over technique called pigeage was used, allowing for slower extraction and enhancing the expression of varietal aromas. The grapes underwent a meticulously temperature-controlled fermentation (max. 28ºC) to extract the full potential of each variety. The wine was then blended and transferred into new American and French oak barrels, and aged for 12 months.
The growing season across the southern wine regions of Spain, including Jumilla, was marked by extremely hot temperatures and several heatwaves. However, vines grown in areas accustomed to these extreme conditions endured the heat quite well. These hot and dry conditions also helped keep most disease and rot at bay. While yields were down once again, the fruit was highly concentrated. From a vintage rated as 'good', let's see how this 2022 Monastrell-based red wine from Jumilla, Spain, is tasting tonight...
This blend of approximately 80% Monastrell (Mourvèdre), 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon has a fresh, medium-high intensity nose of ripe dark fruit, black plum, blackberry, and peppery spice aromas nuanced with subtle oak, earth, and violet. On the dry, medium+ bodied palate it has ripe black fruits, blackberry, black plum, spice, and violet aroma replays in a nicely balanced flavour profile. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the supple tannins have a pleasing, fine-grained texture. Slightly grippy with dark berry, purple fruit, earth, and smoky oak notes on the long, balanced finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
A few other delicious wines by Ego Bodegas are available at the LCBO, while the full range can be ordered through their Agent - KOLONAKI Group of Companies.
It is produced by Ego Bodegas, a small, independently owned winery that was founded in 2011 by the husband-and-wife team of Santos Ortiz and Ioana Paunescu. Santos is Spanish, while Ioana is originally from Romania, and together they settled in the Jumilla wine region of southeastern Spain, not far from the historic centre of Jumilla. The project was born from their passion and determination to produce high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of Jumilla.
Santos and Ioana fell in love with a spectacular farm in the elevated area of Hoya Torres in Jumilla, locally known as the carpenter's place. The property offered a naturally beautiful landscape surrounded by old vineyards planted to Monastrell. Their approach was to build the winery project from the top down — or, more accurately, to build a commercially viable wine business from the ground up. In order to achieve their objectives of sales and profitability, they sought to find the right balance between three core concepts: Quality, Image, and Price. After two years of hard work, the couple launched Ego Bodegas, a wine brand based on the philosophy of ego, talento, and infinito — or self, talent, and infinity — reflecting their passion, learning, and dreams without limits.
From the very beginning, Ego Bodegas has taken a contemporary approach to winemaking, combining traditional methods with modern techniques. With modern winemaking facilities and a culture of constant improvement, they strive to balance innovation with consumer demand while maintaining quality. Today, they have 35 hectares of vineyards, most of which are planted to native varieties, with a particular focus on Monastrell, which is exceptionally well adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of Jumilla. The soils are dark and calcareous, with good permeability and moisture-retention properties that help the vines endure periods of drought. The climate is continental and arid, influenced by the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the plateau of La Mancha to the west. The region also receives more than 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it one of the driest wine-growing areas in Spain. While the portfolio has expanded in recent years to include wines made from other varieties, Monastrell remains central to Ego Bodegas as they continue to innovate and craft wines of excellence.
Like the 2020 El Goru Gold Mad Hairy Fella I enjoyed last year, this red wine is a blend of 3 varieties, similarly composed of approximately 80% Monastrell, 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were hand-harvested and selected through a strict field-selection process. Upon arriving at the winery, the grapes were carefully macerated until the desired wine profile was achieved. Throughout the process, a pump-over technique called pigeage was used, allowing for slower extraction and enhancing the expression of varietal aromas. The grapes underwent a meticulously temperature-controlled fermentation (max. 28ºC) to extract the full potential of each variety. The wine was then blended and transferred into new American and French oak barrels, and aged for 12 months.
The growing season across the southern wine regions of Spain, including Jumilla, was marked by extremely hot temperatures and several heatwaves. However, vines grown in areas accustomed to these extreme conditions endured the heat quite well. These hot and dry conditions also helped keep most disease and rot at bay. While yields were down once again, the fruit was highly concentrated. From a vintage rated as 'good', let's see how this 2022 Monastrell-based red wine from Jumilla, Spain, is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
EL GORU GOLD MAD HAIRY FELLA MONASTRELL / SYRAH / CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2022 - Vegan, DOP Jumilla, Spain (#13621) (XD) - $19.95This blend of approximately 80% Monastrell (Mourvèdre), 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon has a fresh, medium-high intensity nose of ripe dark fruit, black plum, blackberry, and peppery spice aromas nuanced with subtle oak, earth, and violet. On the dry, medium+ bodied palate it has ripe black fruits, blackberry, black plum, spice, and violet aroma replays in a nicely balanced flavour profile. Acids are fresh and juicy, while the supple tannins have a pleasing, fine-grained texture. Slightly grippy with dark berry, purple fruit, earth, and smoky oak notes on the long, balanced finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
A few other delicious wines by Ego Bodegas are available at the LCBO, while the full range can be ordered through their Agent - KOLONAKI Group of Companies.
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