Orixe Sotelo Tinta Alta Tempranillo 2020
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The Land
A plain "California" appellation usually signals a wine blended down from wherever fruit was cheapest. Here it means the opposite: the label is generic because the two vineyards sit in different counties, and neither is generic at all. Shake Ridge Ranch is in Amador County, in the Sierra Foothills, planted between roughly 1,600 and 2,400 feet on granite bedrock shot through with quartz and ancient red volcanic soil. Stagecoach Vineyard sits on Atlas Peak in Napa, from about 1,100 to 1,750 feet, on boulder-strewn red volcanic clay loam. Both are hillside sites well above the fog line, both drain hard, and both drop cold at night. Tinta Alta means high red, and the name is the thesis.
The Wine
Tempranillo from those two mountain sites, with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2020 as a nod to an old Spanish blending habit. It runs 14 percent alcohol and drinks at medium weight rather than the heavy extraction Tempranillo often gets in warm climates. Plum, sour cherry, black raspberry and fruit leather, a distinctly floral top note that the 2019 did not have, then an earthy, dusty undertow and a finish that stays fine-grained. Ripe and a little rustic at the same time, in the way Tempranillo is in Spain and rarely is here. Worth noting the year: 2020 was California's hardest recent vintage, with heat spikes and the August and September fires, and a great deal of North Coast fruit never made it into bottle at all.
The People
Gustavo and Jackie Sotelo founded Orixe Sotelo in Sonoma in 2019. Orixe is Galician, from the Latin origo, meaning beginning or source; Sotelo is a place name from the coastal mountains of Galicia. The project has a single premise: Spanish grape varieties grown in California, treated as a serious category rather than a novelty. Gustavo studied at Boston University, went through the UC Davis viticulture and enology program, and holds additional certifications from Bordeaux Agro Sciences and the Institut de la Vigne et du Vin in Burgundy. He apprenticed in Napa, Sonoma and Spain before becoming head winemaker at SCRIBE. Jackie handles the administrative side. Between them they are chasing a specific idea, that California is overdue for a renaissance in Spanish cultivars.
Food Pairing
Carne asada tacos with charred onion and salsa verde, where the wine's acidity and dusty tannin handle both the fat and the lime. Grilled lamb steaks with smoked paprika. A pot of white beans with chorizo and greens, meeting the earthy side head on. Or a burger cooked over actual coals. This is the bottle to keep a case of, the one you reach for without thinking on a Wednesday and never regret.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
California's Central Coast is a sprawling and diverse wine region stretching from south of San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara. This vast area encompasses a wide range of climates and terroirs, resulting in a remarkable diversity of wine styles. Monterey County, known for its cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, benefits from the influence of the Monterey Bay. The Santa Cruz Mountains, with their high elevation and proximity to the Pacific, produce elegant, cool-climate wines. Paso Robles, known for its warm days and cool nights, is renowned for its bold Zinfandel and Rhône-style blends. Santa Barbara, despite its southerly latitude, boasts surprisingly cool climates due to the unique east-west orientation of its valleys, which funnel cool ocean breezes inland, creating ideal conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Central Coast's varied geography and range of climates contribute to its standing as a highly dynamic winemaking area.
California - Central Coast
Tempranillo, Spain's most celebrated red grape, takes its name from the Spanish word "temprano," meaning "early," a reference to the variety's tendency to ripen earlier than other Spanish grapes. This versatility allows it to thrive across a range of climates and soil types. Though primarily associated with Spain, where it forms the backbone of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and other prominent regions, Tempranillo also has a significant presence in Portugal. Here, it's known under various synonyms, including Tinta Roriz, Aragonez, and Tinto Fino, playing a crucial role in the production of both red and rosé wines. Its ability to produce wines with moderate acidity, balanced tannins, and complex flavors of red fruit, leather, and tobacco make it a favorite among winemakers and wine drinkers alike.
