2024 Ego Bodegas El Goru Jumilla 750 ml

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.

"Jumilla is home to an impressively vast collection of old, bush-grown and drought-resistant Monastrell vines," Vinous's Josh Raynolds said about the region, also noting that it produces "numerous excellent wines." It’s the world’s epicenter for old-vine Monastrell, the same grape that plays a big part in Château de Beaucastel blends and dominates the profound, long-lived reds of Bandol—powerhouses like Domaine Tempier and Wine Access member-favorite Domaine du Gros ‘Noré. 

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, Raynolds said, are “deeply fruity, concentrated, and highly perfumed wines that deliver immediate pleasure for ridiculously low prices.”

Santos Ortiz and Ioana Paunescu launched Ego Bodegas in 2011, with the goal of delivering high-quality wines at those bargain prices. Their 2024 El Goru is built on Jumilla’s signature Monastrell, plus rich Syrah and Petit Verdot. It’s inky in color, with blockbuster black-fruit aromas accented by the myriad herbs that typify wines from the Mediterranean. On the palate, it’s plus and rich, with a finish that lasts WAAY longer than anything you’d expect at this price point. This is why we love Spain.