Tempranillo Tinta Alta 2021, Orixe Sotello

Tinta Alta opens with the dusky charm you hope for in Tempranillo: warm red cherry, spiced plum, and black raspberry, carried by accents of dried rose, tobacco leaf, and cocoa husk. As it unfolds, subtle notes of cedar, savory herbs, and stony minerality emerge—an echo of its coastal soils and its restrained aging in oak.

On the palate, the wine is medium-full bodied with supple structure, offering flavors of ripe cherry, pomegranate molasses, and fig skin, wrapped in fine tannins that feel both polished and quietly muscular. A ribbon of acidity keeps everything lifted, while the finish lingers with warm spice, red earth, and a hint of smoked tea. It’s a wine that feels generous without heaviness—classic in spirit, coastal-modern in execution.

About the Winery

Orixe Sotelo is a boutique California winery founded in 2019 by Gustavo and Jackie Sotelo, a husband-and-wife team crafting small-lot wines inspired by Spanish grape varieties and California’s diverse landscapes. The name Orixe—Galician for “origin”—reflects both Gustavo’s ancestral roots in Galicia, Spain, and the winery’s guiding belief that great wines begin with a clear sense of place and purpose.

Gustavo leads the winemaking, drawing on formal training at UC Davis and hands-on experience in Napa, Sonoma, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Spain. His background includes work with respected California producers and a deep immersion in Iberian wine traditions, particularly Tempranillo and Atlantic-influenced white varieties. That global perspective informs a style that values balance, site expression, and restraint over excess.

Jackie oversees the business, storytelling, and community side of the project, bringing experience across wine, media, and operations. Together, they shape Orixe Sotelo as both a creative partnership and a family-run endeavor—one rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and shared vision.

The winery’s focus is clear: expand California’s wine conversation by championing Spanish and Portuguese grape varieties grown in thoughtfully chosen vineyard sites across the state. Winemaking is intentionally low-intervention, with native fermentations, gentle extraction, and minimal oak, allowing each vineyard’s character to come through.

Orixe Sotelo’s wines are expressive yet precise—bridging Old World heritage and New World energy. Each bottle is a reflection of origin, partnership, and the belief that California still has many stories left to tell.