2017 Ego Bodegas Goru Gold Jumilla 750 ml

It took us all of 20 seconds reveling in the rich, ripe, mineral-infused 2017 Ego Bodegas Goru Gold Red Blend to shove our plates aside and start snapping pictures of the label—and that was before we saw the show-stopping press.

This 93-pointer is one of Wine Spectator’s top Spanish reds of the ‘17 vintage, a brooding blend of Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah that’s “sleek and solid,” as Spectator put it.

"Jumilla is home to an impressively vast collection of old, bush-grown and drought-resistant Monastrell vines," Vinous's Josh Raynolds said about this region in the southeast of Spain, also noting that it produces "numerous excellent wines." It’s the world’s epicenter for old-vine Monastrell, the grape (aka Mourvèdre) that plays a big part in Château de Beaucastel blends and dominates the profound, long-lived reds of Bandol. 

Monastrell absolutely thrives in the hot climes of Jumilla (which receives 3000 hours of sunshine a year), ripening 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”—and that perfectly describes the 2017 Goru Gold.

Perfect at a table loaded with tortilla española, chorizo, and jamón serrano, this wine is ready for anything: tapas, the grill, or a late night tipple all on its own. With one foot in Rioja and the other in the Rhône, it should have all lovers of hearty reds clearing space in their cellars.