Highlands of Jumilla and Yecla

The Murcian-Valencian Altiplano is probably the most underrated and at the same time most promising wine region in all of Spain. Located at the far north of Murcia and the far south of Valencia (essentially encompassing the municipalities of Jumilla, Yecla and Pinoso), it is a dry plateau sitting above 600 m altitude with an extreme continental climate: scorching summers (40-42 degrees C is common in July and August) and cold winters (with frequent frosts and temperatures that can drop to -8 degrees C). These extreme conditions, seemingly so unfavourable, are however ideal for a very specific grape variety: monastrell, a red grape native to the southeastern Mediterranean that needs these thermal contrasts to concentrate sugars and develop complex tannins.

The D.O. Jumilla, one of the oldest wine appellations in Spain (established in 1966), today produces some of the most interesting and highly regarded young and aged reds in the entire southern half of the peninsula. Wineries such as Casa Castillo, Casa de la Ermita, Carchelo and El Sello have earned considerable international prestige over the past twenty years, especially with their old-vine monastrell cuvees (from vines over 50 years old) that critics describe as "the Spanish Chateauneuf-du-Pape" for their intensity, structure and ageing potential. Visiting a winery on the Altiplano is a very different experience from Rioja or Ribera del Duero: here there are no grand oenological chateaux but rather family-run bodegas, artisan producers and an almost militant pride in the rugged, mineral character of the local wines.

The Castillo de Jumilla, set atop the hill that dominates the town's old quarter, is one of the best-preserved Arab fortresses in the entire Region of Murcia. Built by the Andalusi Muslims in the 12th century, for 200 years it was one of the most important defensive strongholds of the Taifa kingdom of Murcia, controlling the natural pass between the Levante coast and the inland plateau. It fell to Christian forces in 1241 and was converted into the seat of the municipal council. Today you can visit the entire castle, and from its ramparts there is a panoramic view of the Altiplano that on clear days stretches as far as the inland sierras (Sierra Espuña to the south, Sierra de Pinoso to the east).

An archaeological rarity of the area: Monte Arabi, an isolated massif south of Yecla, harbours some of the most important Mediterranean Arc rock paintings in the entire Region of Murcia. These are Neolithic Levantine paintings (8,000 years old) depicting hunting scenes, ritual dances and stylised human figures, very similar to those found in the Valencian and Andalusian Levante. The painted caves (Cueva del Mediodía, Cueva de los Moros) are protected and can only be visited with a specialist guide, but the ride up to Monte Arabi alone, crossing the dry, almost lunar landscape of the Altiplano, is already a remarkable visual experience.

Practical riding tips: the Altiplano is very hot in summer (best avoided in July-August) and quite cold in winter with frosts. The optimal season runs from October to May, with September as the best month (grape harvest, laden vineyards, wineries in full swing). Traffic is very light year-round. Fill up in Jumilla, Yecla or Pinoso. For a meal, in Jumilla the Restaurante Reyes serves traditional Murcian cuisine with local wines in a restored 19th-century bodega. And a tip: visit at least one winery on the Altiplano (I recommend Casa Castillo for its architectural beauty and wine quality, or Bodegas Olivares for its five-generation family tradition). Tasting old-vine monastrell reds in a rural Altiplano bodega is an oenological experience hard to match in more touristy wine destinations.