A little over four kilometres of gentle bends lead us through valleys and hills. We pass through the Espuro area and, a little further on, we reach Pardenillas, a small plain where the photos illustrating these lines were taken. We soon arrive at the Mesamayor slope, a small mountain pass that leads us to the village of Lapuebla.
On our right-hand side, the aforementioned slope tilts significantly: below is La Mezana, a river plain that is almost entirely under vine. Many of these plots produce the Tempranillo grapes used to make Muriel's entry level wines. Further to the south, La Mezana eventually closes off and leads to El Encinal, a distinctive meander shaped like a spur or peak to the east. On the other side of the river Ebro, we glimpse the extensive Montecillo area, a historic vineyard site that belongs to the village of Fuenmayor (La Rioja).
The route evokes the words of Henry David Thoreau in his famous Walking:
"We walked in so pure and bright a light, gilding the withered grass and leaves, so softly and serenely bright, I thought I had never bathed in such a golden flood, without a ripple or a murmur to it. The west side of every wood and rising ground gleamed like the boundary of Elysium, and the sun on our backs seemed like a gentle herdsman driving us home at evening."
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