La Purisima

La Purisima is a sort of 'post-modern' co-op, doing some really sensational 'estate-style' wines from the township of Yecla, which gives its name to the denominacion de origen, D.O. Yecla. About 1 ½ hours inland, Yecla is due west from Alicante. It's high in altitude, with vineyards as high as 1100m above sea level. Summer heat is tempered by altitude, while winter is both extremely cold, and also quite dry (average rainfall is 12 inches per annum.) The well established vineyards that La Purisima source their fruit from are all unirrigated. 'Estio' in Catalan means summer, and this range of wines reflects that ideal. The wines are fresh, bright and easy to enjoy.