2023 Orixe Sotelo, Godello “Soto” Sonoma Valley.
The 2023 Orixe Sotelo Godello, a rare Spanish white varietal originally from Galicia, is a very serious and exciting offering that delivers a fresh, mineral intense and vibrant zesty palate of racy citrus, tart peach, quince, green apple and melon fruits, along with wet stones, subtle white blossom, verbena, sweet and sour herbs, bitter almond and a touch of flinty, leesy notes. This tension filled white wine really shows off the crisp details and quality of this grape’s character, it is wine that will be especially brilliant with a range of sea food dishes, not unlike Albariño, another Galician ex-pat, but slightly richer and rounder as it opens up in the glass. Winemaker Gustavo Sotelo says Godello is the variety that several regions in Galicia are hanging their hat on, including places like Valdeorras, Ribeira Sacra, and Monterrei, as well as being one of the best white grapes in the Bierzo region, where the legendary Raul Perez and Veronica Ortega make outstanding versions of Godello. We can thank Michael Heavens, and later on Morgan Twain-Peterson, for bringing both Albariño and Godello to California and the wine world’s attention, and now Sotelo, for giving us this beauty! I’m thrilled to have tried this Soto and look forward to exploring some of the other Orixe Sotelo ultra small lot efforts, including their Arinto, Mencia, unique Rioja inspired Rosé and Tempranillo, which all sound extremely inviting, coming from some diverse terroirs within California.
Gustavo and Jackie Sotelo are the winemakers behind the Orixe Sotelo label founded in 2019, dedicated to Spanish varietals, creating what they call Vinos singulares de Alta California, which are getting a lot of attention these days, with a focus on Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mencia reds. The Setelo’s say the Orixe (o-REE-shay) name comes from a Galician word from Latin “origo” meaning: “beginning, source, birth, origin”. Their last name, Sotelo, originates in the coastal mountains of Galicia, Spain and gives them their lens from which to view a new vision of California wine and I must say the results are delicious and intriguing, especially this Godello. Gustavo, who has an impressive CV, has apprenticed with some of the top wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Spain before becoming the head winemaker for Scribe Winery in Sonoma, where he has gained a great deal of respect from his peers. Sotelo is also graduate of Boston University, the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program, and has received additional certifications from Bordeaux Agro Sciences Université and the Institut de la Vigne et du Vin de l’Université de Bourgogne, which proves his world wide understanding of wine. This lively and pale gold hued Soto bottling is 100% Godello that sourced from Birdland vineyard, which is located at the northeastern base of Sonoma Mountain just outside of the town of Glen Ellen, a slightly cooler zone, with a mix of Sonoma volcanic soils, which gives this wine its vitality and complexity, and I recommend chasing a few bottles down and joining the Orixe Sotelo mailing list.
($40 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive