Tempranillo, Orixe Solento 'En Vaso'

'En Vaso,' which means 'head-trained vine' in Spanish, reflects the unique training method used for the Marimar Estate's Tempranillo grapes on the Sonoma Coast. The 2023 En Vaso, their first and only red wine bottling from Sonoma County, is fermented with 50% whole cluster, showcasing Tempranillo's versatility and its potential when crafted using a Burgundian approach.

Given the uniqueness of the Don Miguel Vineyard and the impeccable farming of the Tempranillo, Gustavo Sotelo decided to ferment this wine with 50% whole cluster inclusion. For the bins that were not destemmed they foot-tread them in the harvest bin before incorporating into the fermentation tank. The wine was mostly pumped over for the 14 days that the fermentation lasted with a couple of punch downs midway through fermentation to invert the cap and submerge the whole clusters. The free run and pressings were combined, settled for 48 hours after pressing and then racked to neutral 60-gallon barrels. The wine was racked once after malolactic fermentation and aged for a total of 10 months in barrel prior to bottling.

A seasoned California winemaker with extensive cellar and viticulture experience. Gustavo apprenticed with some of the top wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Spain before becoming the head winemaker for SCRIBE Winery. Gustavo is a graduate of Boston University, the UC Davis Viticulture & Enology program, and has received additional certifications from Bordeaux Agro Sciences Université & the Institut de la Vigne et du Vin de l'Université de Bourgogne.

Inspiration was found for O.S. while tracing back Gustavo’s family name to the arrival of Spanish conquistadores in Mexico in the 16th century. The ‘Sotelo’ surname comes from the place-name ‘Soto’ in Galicia, Spain. This word translates to a ‘thicket’ or a ‘grove’. This was the initial thread that connected Gustavo to Spain and led him to explore the stratified history between Spain, Mexico, and California.

Gustavo’s passion for Spanish cultivars was further cemented after he worked a production harvest in Ribera del Duero at Bodegas Mauro in 2014. He travelled extensively throughout the region and was able to meet notable Spanish wine producers, to learn about their craft, expertise, and winemaking traditions. What also always stayed with Gustavo was how similar the topography and coastlines of Spain were to home back in California.