El Goru Gold Mad Hairy Fella Monastrell / Syrah / Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Spain) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of a lovely, vegan-friendly Monastrell-based blend from Jumilla (Spain) that arrived at the LCBO earlier this month in the March 1st LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Ego Bodegas, a winery project that was established from scratch in 2011 by the husband-and-wife team of Santos Ortiz and Ioana Paunescu. Santos is of Spanish origin, while Ioana was from Romania, and together they settled in the Jumilla wine region of Spain, not far from the historical centre of Jumilla. The project was borne out of their passion and effort, with a vision to produce high-quality wines that showcase the unique terroir of Jumilla.

Santos and Ioana built the winery together, not from the bottom up, but from the roof down, from top to bottom, after they fell in love with a spectacular farm in an elevated area of Jumilla, locally known as the carpenter's place. It was surrounded by old vineyards planted to Monastrell and offered a naturally beautiful landscape. While their business objectives were sales and profitability, they needed to find the right balance to achieve this goal by focusing on the three core concepts of Quality, Image, and Price. In 2013, after two years of hard work, the couple launched their wine brand: Ego Bodegas. The name "Ego Bodegas" is based on the philosophy centred on ego, talento, and infinito - or self, talent, and infinity.

From the beginning, Ego Bodegas has taken a contemporary twist on winemaking by combining traditional methods with modern techniques. They use their modern winemaking facilities to improve quality and efficiency, while striving to seek out the best technology available. With 35 hectares of vineyards planted mostly to native varieties, the winery is focused on producing high-quality wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region. Their focus is mainly on the native Monastrell varietal as it has adapted well to the soil and climatic conditions of Jumilla. The soil in Jumilla is dark and enriched with lime, while also being permeable with good moisture retention, which helps the vines during periods of drought. The climate in the region is continental, arid, and influenced by the Mediterranean Sea to the east and by the plateau of La Mancha to the west, while also receiving more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, which makes Jumilla one of the driest areas in Spain. Today, Ego Bodegas crafts their wines with a dedication to innovation, craftsmanship, and excellence in winemaking.

Like the 2019 El Goru Gold I enjoyed last year, this red is predominantly Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre), with this particular vintage including a bit more Monastrell this time, and the final blend consisting of 80% Monastrell, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. To craft this wine, all three grape varieties were hand-harvested in 15 kg boxes through a strict selection in the vineyard. The grapes underwent supervised maceration in order to achieve the ideal wine profile, and during the entire process, the pigeage pumping down technique was used in order to favour a slower extraction and a synthesis of varietal aromas. It underwent temperature-controlled fermentation, up to a maximum of 28ºC, in order to extract the full potential of each grape variety. The final wine was blended and aged for 12 months in new French and American oak barrels.

The 2020 growing season in Jumilla and southern Spain was marked by early budding, a rainy spring, and a hot, dry summer, conditions which resulted in an early harvest. Yields in the region were also mostly down due to mildew issues. However, 2020 produced an excellent quality vintage. Let's see how this 2020 Monastrell-based red from Jumilla is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL GORU GOLD MAD HAIRY FELLA MONASTRELL / SYRAH / CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - Vegan, DOP Jumilla, Spain (#13621) (XD) - $18.95
This blend of 80% Monastrell, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is fragrant and open, with a medium+ to medium-high intensity nose that offers ripe black & purple fruits, blackberry, cedary oak, spice, black cherry, and plum aromas with whiffs of reductive notes. On the medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it is dry and spicy with ripe black & purple fruits, cedar oak, plum, black cherry flavours supported by crisp and bright acidity. Touches of licorice and sweet vanillin oak join the party on the mid-palate. Ripe tannins are mildly grippy, with good structure. Ripe black fruits with cedary oak and cocoa notes linger on the long and juicy finish. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

A couple of other wines by Ego Bodegas are available at the LCBO, while the full portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Kolonaki Fine Wines & Spirits.