A few weeks ago I got a message on LinkedIn from Jessica Cortell asking if I’d be interested in tasting wines from her Cortell Collection. I knew nothing about Jessica or her wines, but what sparked my interest was the brief background note she provided regarding her principal business, a vineyard management company called Vitis Terra.
“I started Vitis Terra in 2010,” she wrote, “and have managed Antica Terra since then. My team has managed Evening land since 2015 and Brooks since 2018. Those are probably the ones that are most well known. New projects we are working with are Corollary and Cho Wines. We focus on organic and regenerative agriculture. We manage around 700 to 1000 acres depending on the year.”
I’ve visited and reviewed wines from most of these producers and they are all exceptional. My own experience and firm belief in the value of earth-friendly viticulture (my term) means I need no persuasion that these great wines are easily traced back to great vineyard management. Without exception no one makes great wines without it. Not surprisingly, these Cortell Collection wines are impressive across the board. But there’s another essential factor that I turned up while doing further research. And that is the power of a curious mind, and its ability to set specific goals and focus on them, in spite of, or sometimes because of, outside interference.
In an extensive interview published here Cortell was asked about her personal tasting preferences when enjoying wine at home. “I can say that I really like Pinot Noir that is not high alcohol and not overripe, especially when there’s really a vibrancy and life to it – red fruit, violets, and really nice aromatics. I think there are some expressions out there that are just too heavy, and when you have that 14% alcohol, you end up losing a lot of those delicate aromatics that you can have in Pinot Noir.”
This is a perfect description of her Cortell Collection Pinots. For some palates, some of these wines will veer a little too much in the direction of herb, bramble and forest floor flavors. I like to keep a good splash of fruit in the picture, and my two favorites among the five Pinots I tasted do just that. But I really admire how carefully thought-out Cortell’s overall planning is, and her ability to take fortune’s reverses and turn them into opportunities for growth. When the 2020 wildfires torched much of the interest in Oregon wines of that vintage, she bought unwanted grapes and launched her own brand. With 2021, 2022 and 2023 all being successful, if at times challenging vintages, she’s off to a great start.
In an email Q&A Jessica responded to some questions about her business and methodology.
PG: How did you prepare for your Vitis Terra business? Training, background, work experience.
JC: “I have worked with plants since I was a little kid…. My dad grew Rhododendrons on the coast. I attended Oregon State and got a BS and MS in Horticulture. I got exposed to vineyards in a ‘small fruit’ class and was intrigued by the idea of growing a crop where it was about the chemistry in the grapes rather than how much you could produce. This led me to work at Croft Vineyards around 1990–1991.”
PG: That didn’t lead directly to managing vineyards. What came next?
JC: “I also was fascinated by the health benefits of berries, vegetables, medicinal herbs and wine. I managed several medicinal herb farms before coming back to focus on grapes as the Oregon State Viticulture Research Assistant in late 1999 where I supervised graduate research on winegrapes. In 2002, I decided to pursue my Ph.D. and wanted it to be a ‘systems’ approach which was not typical for research (quite a few scientists have since used my design for similar types of research). I investigated spatial variability in the soil and how it impacts vine vigor, fruit and wine chemistry. We made wine from different vigor zones and the wines were very different. I was also interested in the antioxidant health benefits of wine. I worked under James Kennedy specifically on phenolics and tannins. The big take away was that skin tannins are responsive to sunlight exposure and are a driver of wine quality.”
PG: Once you’d earned the doctorate, where did that lead?
JC: After earning my Ph.D. I worked for a company that was managing the 600 acres of CALPERS vineyards in the Willamette Valley. I was the viticulturist so my team and I did all the problem solving, nutrition, spray programs, irrigation monitoring and scheduling, cover crop plans, pruning plans etc. However, I was not directly involved in managing labor. In 2009, I got laid off when the recession hit. I had just bought a property that was hard to finance – now Carlile’s Crest Vineyard – then lost my job and the whole real estate market turned upside down. I couldn’t really move anywhere and there were few job openings at the time in the industry and certainly no one looking to hire someone with a Ph.D.! So I started consulting and then started a vineyard management company in 2010 called Vitis Terra Vineyard Services. I definitely learned along the way!”
PG: Incredible resilience in the face of multiple setbacks. Can you briefly talk about the main principles of grazing-based viticulture (or however you define Vitis Terra’s services)?
JC: “I have been practicing Regenerative Agriculture since around 2015 or 2016. This involves primarily not cultivating the soil. Often times people think they need to cultivate to free up water. Cultivation does not actually free up water…. it frees up nitrogen more but the flush of microbial activity following cultivation is short-lived and can contribute to greenhouse gases. Cultivation also disrupts mycorrhizal hyphae where nutrient uptake and exchange could be taking place. We have a lot to learn! I also introduced Kunekune grazing pigs around the same time. They have a short snout so they do not do a lot of rooting. They are also one of the smallest breeds of pigs with short legs. They are a New Zealand heirloom breed called Kune kune which in Maori language means ‘fat and round’.”
PG: So pigs rather than sheep?
JC: “The benefit of the pigs is that there is less concern for predators and they can eat acorns in the winter. In 2023, there were so many acorns I didn’t have to feed them all winter. Over time they have moved seeds around the vineyard and added fertility. I am thinking of introducing pigs to my Cortell Rose vineyard with the idea of taking soil tests to see the change in biology and fertility over time.”
PG: Your wines are elegant and detailed, and drink deliciously after being open for three days (I do not use Coravin or any preservative measures, I just leave them out on the counter). Do you ascribe that liveliness and potential longevity to the viticulture?
JC: “I love it that you picked up on that…. I gave myself title the “wine Instigator” 😂😉 as I want to drive the style toward ‘alive’ fresh lively in your mouth wines with natural balance and longevity. Since I studied tannins and wine chemistry, I want the wines to have a lively feel in your mouth coming from the balance between the tannins and acids. The quality and freshness starts in the vineyard with high quality grapes picked at the right time. This involved providing sun exposure but not too much and good vine balance. It also plays out in the winery of making decisions to help support the desired extraction and to maintain that freshness into the bottle.”
PG: Thank you Jessica Cortell. You are inspiring. I hope the Surgeon General is reading this. It might open his eyes to the immense value that wine industry folks such as yourself bring to so many aspects of our lives and the health of the planet. Now on to my thoughts on your wines.
Cortell Collection
Cortell Collection 2022 Chardonnay – Grapes from three all-star vineyards – Evening Land, Seven Springs and One Acre – comprise the blend. This was barrel fermented and aged in one quarter new oak. It’s lively and detailed, a nicely-textured wine with peppery citrus, struck flint and chamomile tea flavors. The compact fruit includes suggestions of varied apples, jicama and lime. The flavors unpack slowly and linger gracefully through the finish. A zesty and most refreshing style. 60 cases; 13.5%; $45 (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100
Cortell Collection 2023 Gamay Noir – This young wine leans into peppery herbs, cranberry fruit and textured minerality. It’s a winning combination, and as it’s been recently bottled it seems destined for its best drinking a bit later down the road. Gamay is a great spring/summer quaff, and this fits the bill if you just hang on for a few months. Young as it is, decant it and give it plenty of aeration for best drinking now. 190 cases; 13%; $25 (Eola-Amity Hills) 91/100
Cortell Collection 2021 Carlile’s Crest Vineyard Pinot Noir – A year older than the other wines reviewed here, and made with the inclusion of one quarter whole clusters, this is regeneratively farmed at a (relatively) high elevation vineyard planted in 2011. It benefits from the extra bottle age, and has settled into a comfortable mix of citrus, berry, spice and sassy acids. At just a decade old (when these grapes were picked) it’s a young site with plenty of promise ahead. As a wine from young vines it’s best enjoyed over the next half decade. 75 cases; 13%; $85 (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100
Cortell Collection 2022 Black Bobcat Pinot Noir – Sourced from the One Acre vineyard, this limited production wine has compelling elegance. There is nothing over-stated, nothing pushed too hard, and yet it feels complete and fully realized. It’s Pinot at its Pinot-est – meaning it brings delicate flavors, good balance, pretty berry fruit lightly accented with savory herbs and barrel toast. Good length and the promise of further development with more bottle age. 13.7%; 48 cases; $75 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Cortell Collection 2022 Pinot Noir – Principally sourced from the estate vineyard, vinified with native yeast and aged in one quarter new barrels, this is a fragrant, frisky, dare I say sexy Pinot Noir. It’s lively and compelling, with a deft mix of strawberries, raspberries, cranberries anchored in juicy acids. It hints at white pepper and herbal tea, but it’s the fruit at the center that holds it all together. Still quite young, it may be enjoyed now for its freshness and vitality, or set aside for sipping in another decade. 13.8%; 72 cases; $45 (Eola-Amity Hills) 94/100
Cortell Collection 2022 Cortell Rose Vineyard Pinot Noir – The estate vineyard is directly across from Brooks. I’d liken this to a reserve, bigger, riper and overall more punchy than the excellent EAH bottling reviewed above. Here the fruit dives into pretty cherry flavors, shows more concentration, and is wrapped in a frame of milk chocolate. It retains the elegance and balance of the other Cortell Pinots, but here there’s less savory herb and more front of the palate fruit, which I confess rings my bell. It’s got the structure, concentration and balance to age, but is ready for near-term drinking. 13.8%; 72 cases; $65 (Eola-Amity Hills) 95/100
Before moving on to more exciting new releases, I want to draw your attention to this interesting, newly-published data from Wine Business Analytics. Here’s a sample quote:
“According to wine marketing experts, micro-influencers are a valuable, untapped resource. Even an influencer with just a few thousand followers can help a winery build a brand while fostering a community generating personal recommendations leading to direct-to-consumer sales. Community, relationships and authenticity should be the focus rather than going viral. In a survey by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, 40% of U.S. wine consumers said they trusted social media for wine information and recommendations. Among Millennials, 44% said they trusted social media as a resource for wine and 52% of Gen Z said they were influenced by social media when it came to wine purchasing.”
That’s a pretty good synopsis of this Substack, its purpose and focus. Community, relationships and authenticity, coupled with my decades-long experience covering the wines and wineries of the Pacific Northwest. I’m happy to be a micro-influencer! And now back to our regular programming.
Pášxa
Tomorrow (Friday January 10th) is the official release date for the highly-allocated wines from Mike Martin’s Pášxa label (it’s pronounced pahk-sha). I first tasted and previewed these wines in the summer of 2022 and urged readers to get on the client list. Here’s why. The wines are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. To place an order you must sign up (see link above).
Pášxa 2023 Rockgarden Vineyard White Wine – Marsanne provides 56% of the blend and Roussanne the rest, both sourced from the estate vineyard which was planted in 2007. Exotically fragrant with a lush mix of ripe pears, papaya and guava, those fruit flavors come sprinkled with baking spices, notably cinnamon, as the wine hits the palate. It gathers itself in the finish, with compelling concentration and impressive length, adding veins of butterscotch and salted caramel as it trails away. 51 cases; 12.9%; $95 (Rocks District/Walla Walla Valley) 96/100
Pášxa 2022 Rockgarden Vineyard Grenache – This magical wine perfectly matches mixed candied orange peel and jammy berry flavors with the umami highlights of the underlying Rocks District terroir. Accents of coffee grounds and clove are in play, and the balanced tannins frame the finish with hints of barrel toast and charred walnuts. 74 cases; 15.2%; $95 (Rocks District/Walla Walla Valley) 95/100
Pášxa 2022 River Rock Vineyard Grenache – The two Grenache offerings come from different vineyards in the southern part of the Walla Walla Valley, and each nicely captures the essence of the grape and its location within the AVA. The River Rock bottling shows a bit more finesse, and its berry, plum and cooked cherry fruit has a pastry filling character. Might be some fig newtons in there, and a subtle foundation weaving together touches of umami, soy, pekoe tea and dark chocolate. 248 cases; 14.8%; $95 (Walla Walla Valley) 97/100
Pášxa 2022 Rockgarden Vineyard Mourvèdre – If you love Chateauneuf-du-Pape you’ll want to try this wine. I am not sure if it’s pure Mourvèdre, but whether or not it’s a fine reflection of a southern Rhône style with Rocks District pizzazz. Aromatic and packed with fresh berry and plum fruit, this is a spicy, focused wine that carries enough acidity to keep it on point. It’s backed with savory phenolics that provide a bouncy base to the finish. Along with the Syrah, this is a wine that didn’t show the slightest bit of a fade even on the third day. 105 cases; 14.8%; $95 (Rocks District/Walla Walla Valley) 97/100
Pášxa 2022 Rockgarden Vineyard Syrah – This amazing wine is an absolute riot of scents and flavors. The moderate acids bring blood orange and tangerine; the fruits are a mix of berries, plums and cherries backed by a wash of savory herbs. The umami highlights kick in with soy, black tea, compost and coffee grounds, nicely melded and providing a firm tannic base. This Syrah drank just as well on the third day as on the first day. A beautiful bottle start to finish. 276 cases; 15%; $95 (Rocks District/Walla Walla Valley) 98/100
