Ego Bodegas Marionette 2023

Marionette comes from Ego Bodegas in Jumilla, a project built around the best vineyards of the area and the local Monastrell grape. Most of the estate's 25 hectares are ungrafted Monastrell averaging around 50 years of age, blended here with Syrah. Jumilla sits in inland Murcia, a hot dry zone where Monastrell ripens late and fully, concentrating sugar and dark fruit while the elevation tempers the nights and preserves freshness. The wine spends two months in American oak, a short passage that softens the tannins and lends vanilla and a sweet spice frame without covering the fruit. Expect a deep purple colour and a nose of ripe plum, black cherry and crushed black pepper, with liquorice and a dusty earth character underneath. The palate is full and warm at 14 per cent, the tannins ripe and rounded, the finish savoury and long. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour ahead to let the fruit open. It suits grilled and roasted red meats, slow-cooked lamb and aged hard cheese.