From 830 metres elevation in the lower part of the village, where clay soils predominate, to the sandy areas bordering the pine forests and the gravel soils of the old riverbeds, up to the limestone plateau at 930 metres, the vineyards of the Callejo family in Sotillo de la Ribera (Burgos) accurately reflect the complexity of the soils found in Ribera del Duero.
When Félix Callejo and his wife Pilar created the winery in 1989, the focus was elsewhere. Both of their families had experience as wine brokers and, following the establishment of DO Ribera del Duero in 1982, they saw an opportunity to enter the bottled wine business. At first, they had to buy a lot of grapes, but gradually they planted vineyards on their own land, including cereal fields high up on the plateau. This explains the diversity of soils and locations behind the current range of wines.
"We seek to showcase the special qualities of the vineyards in Sotillo vineyards and their continental character. We have nothing against the Crianza and Reserva categories, but it is not reasonable that there is only one view of Ribera. It's good to have other perspectives," says Noelia Callejo. She and her brother José Félix are the second generation to be deeply involved in viticulture and winemaking (sisters Beatriz and Cristina manage the domestic and export markets respectively). And both have shaped their own ideas about wine from their international experiences.
While José Félix worked at Pétrus (Pomerol, Bordeaux) and the Chilean winery of Familia Torres, Noelia spent time in Napa Valley (California) at Araujo and in Mendoza (Argentina) at Viña Cobos. After taking over the winery, José Félix switched from heavily toasted American oak to French barrels. With Noelia's arrival, they began classifying their grapes by soils. "With this new angle, the Crianza and Reserva categories didn't make sense anymore," they explain.
Since 2022, their 56 hectares spread over 27 plots are organically certified and all their wines are made with natural yeasts. Another distinctive feature is their export strategy: 50% of their annual production of around 230,000 bottles is sold abroad.
Sotillo is one of the liveliest towns in Ribera del Duero. It has many young wine growers, four bars and even a black pudding factory with its own PGI Morcilla de Burgos.
In the mid-19th century, Madoz's Dictionary described it as follows: "Town (...) located at the tip of a valley, in deep terrain, facing south, sheltered from the wind and well ventilated; the climate is cold but healthy (...). The district has about 6,000 fanegas (3858 ha) of land, divided into small valleys and flat areas, with little woodland and generally of good quality, especially for grape growing."
Perhaps because of this grape growing tradition (in Ribera del Duero there are officially 582 hectares under vine), Sotillo has experienced less urban migration and underwent land consolidation very early on, resulting in a lack of old vineyards. However, the complexity of the soils, due to the sedimentary nature of the Duero Valley and the subsequent erosion, has remained untouched. This special feature goes well beyond the difference between the plateau and the lower parts of the valley. It is remarkable how quickly soils can change within a single vineyard.
Los Arenales, a 3.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1991, is a good example. Four different zones have been identified: the clayey part goes to Flores de Callejo, the mixed sandy-clay part to Parajes de Calle
Something similar happens in El Montecillo, a hilly, cooler, rougher area with small plots, where Félix Callejo planted 3.5 hectares in 1999. "At home, we used to hear that this was the worst vineyard, vigorous at the base and with very little soil at the top, where it reaches almost 900 metres elevation. But my brother started using cover crops and managed to bring it into balance," says Noelia. The limestone part in the middle goes to Félix Callejo, the lower part to Flores de Callejo, the upper part to Majuelos and a fourth portion to Parajes de Callejo.
Flores de Callejo (170,000 bottles, €9), the fruit-driven, youthful entry-level red, comes from the sedimentary clay soils found mostly on the family's 15 hectares in sites like El Pozo and Corrales. These are their southernmost, lower elevation plots. The winemaking process is designed to enhance a fresh, straightforward style. They use whole berries, press before fermentation is complete and only a third of the wine rests in 500-litre barrels; the rest is aged in stainless steel and concrete vats.
But the wine that really marked a turning point in the transition between the first and second generations was Majuelos de Callejo (12,000 bottles in 2021, €35), first made in 2006. “From then on, we gradually evolved and began to give each wine a different name,” explains Noelia. Majuelos is a tribute to the small traditional plots on poor land and to childhood memories of helping grandmother Daría pick the grapes. In addition to certain areas of Montecillo and Arenales, they use the upper part of Nogales, an area separated from Montecillo by the Peña de Buenavista. The wine reveals how Tempranillo (or Tinto Fino as it is known locally) performs on poor, gravelly soils. Aging in 500-litre barrels and concrete eggs limits the use of wood and allows the fruit to come through fully. This is one of the reds that shows more tension and character in the winery, as well as good ageing potential.
The 'marginal soils' range continues with Félix Callejo (3,000 bottles, €90), a tribute to the winery's father and founder. It is another version of Tempranillo, in this case from an extreme, austere landscape characterised by shallow limestone soils, with the bedrock very close to the surface. The grapes come from two plots: the central part of Montecillo and the upper part of Medio Arroyo, both between 900 and 920 metres elevation. The 2018 vintage combines meaty notes with generous fruit; the palate is firm and deep, with plenty of life ahead.
Gran Callejo Gran Reserva (2,000 bottles, €60) is the only wine in the range that is sold under the traditional ageing indications and is aged in 225-litre barrels. The grapes come from the sandy soils of the Camposanto plot and from the pine-covered part of the vineyard that surrounds the winery, which yields highly concentrated grapes. It is undoubtedly the most distinctive red of the Tempranillo trilogy and the one with the greater presence of oak.
A significant proportion of the family's 56 hectares of vineyards are new plantings. There are eight hectares of Garnacha and almost six of Albillo Mayor. "Albillo Mayor is the variety that has been the catalyst for change in the winery. It has opened our minds and dispelled our fears," say José Félix and Noelia.
In addition to the white El Lebrero, always one of the most acclaimed Albillos in Ribera del Duero, the variety is also present in the rosé, now a clarete, in its most traditional sense of the word -a blend of white and red grapes. Albillo Mayor is now present in some reds, as the new regulations allow 25% of any variety authorised in the DO to be blended with Tempranillo in reds. Field blends are now welcome at Callejo - two new hectares have been planted around the winery with Albillo, Garnacha and Tempranillo to be fermented together.
New Tempranillo plantings come from local plant material recovered by Vitis Navarra nursery. It is not about a single clone anymore, but a family of biotypes.
The wine that best reflects this blending concept, and which is also well adapted to climate change, is Parajes de Callejo (40,000 bottles, €22), thanks to the contribution of varieties with higher acidity levels than Tempranillo. The 2021 vintage includes 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Albillo. The presence of varieties with greater acidity than Tempranillo results in a fresher, juicier and more direct Ribera style. All three varieties are co-fermented and the wine is aged for a year in a combination of concrete, foudre and oak barrels. According to José Félix, Tempranillo still needs to be adjusted for acidity, but with less intervention.
Viña Pilar Clarete (just over 4,000 bottles, €20) is made from equal parts of Albillo and Tempranillo fermented together and is aged for 14 months in a combination of concrete and 500-litre barrels. Grapes are sourced from El Pajarillo and El Lebrero. Both vineyards are located on the páramo (high plateau) and separated by a small road that also marks a variation in the soil.
"In 2022 the vineyard on the plateau was a source of joy for us. We didn't have enough acidity in the wines and realised how much freshness we had there," explains Noelia Callejo, referring to one of the most torrid harvests ever. She also notes that at above 900 metres elevation, the final stages of the cycle are slower.
Sotillo has two plateaus, one on either side of the stream that crosses the village and the road that heads north towards Cabañas de Esgueva. On the right bank of the stream is El Pajarillo, with white limestone soils. This is where Callejo planted the first stage of Albillo Mayor, now complemented by Garnacha and Tempranillo, up to a total of six hectares. This plot of land came into the family after the land consolidation in the region. A little further north, on the same plateau, is El Lebrero, planted to Albillo Mayor on less whitish, stony soils.
On the second plateau, at 930 metres elevation, on the left bank of the stream, there are 10 hectares of Tempranillo and Merlot in the Valdelroble site, planted in 2004 and 2005. The vineyards are much more exposed here - in the past this area was destined to cereal. The soils are much shallower, with the bedrock very close to the surface and lots of fragmented stones in the upper horizon. Most of the grapes go to Parajes de Callejo. The best grapes are destined to Finca Valdelroble (9,000 bottles, €27), a field blend of Tempranillo and 25% Merlot, fermented in concrete tanks and aged for 18 months in 500-litre barrels. The wine offers more finesse than the norm for Merlot in the area, and good tension.
Perhaps the wines made by the second generation of the Callejo family are easier to enjoy than to explain, but they are a good example of the natural evolution of Ribera in the coming years, as the generational handover continues and local problems are addressed from a broader perspective.
This includes nuancing the prominent role of Tempranillo, extending the range to include whites and rosés, adapting to the challenges of climate change and building a style based on a deeper knowledge of the soils and the land. The Ribera of the future is already here -you just have to know where to look for it.
