Tempranillo thrives in Jumilla's harsh semi arid climate - Tim Pawsey photo
Murcia, Spain. As you tour this parched semi-arid corner of eastern Spain, two realities are inescapable: the sun rules and water is a scarce commodity.
The harshly beautiful landscape is marked by massive limestone outcrops that punctuate the seemingly always clear and azure sky, their steep, southern slopes rock pocked and treeless, embracing lower plantings of almonds, olives and vines.
Once established, Monastrell vines somehow manage to thrive thanks to their ability to reach down through the chalky clay soils of the lower valleys, from which the joven or young wines are mainly produced.
More complex, often distinctly mineral wines are made with grapes grown on higher more stony slopes, particularly on the aptly named Altiplano that joins Jumilla and Yecla DO regions.
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