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Statera, Cutis Orange - 2021

Brian Hibbard

— 2 min read
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Statera, Cutis Orange - 2021
Photo courtesy of Statera Cellars

Fast Facts:

Winemaker(s): Meredith Bell & Luke Wylde
Region: Eola-Amity Hills → Willamette Valley → Oregon
Varietal(s): Chardonnay
Terroir: Volcanic soils, southwest-facing slopes at 600-700 feet, Van Duzer Corridor winds
Serving Temp: 50-55°F

Meredith Bell and Luke Wylde came to winemaking from opposite directions, which is probably why Statera works so well. Meredith studied biochemistry at UCLA, then spent four years in the Peace Corps in Mauritania (where alcohol is illegal, which sure has a way of clarifying what you want to do with your life), then completed a Masters in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, then worked a harvest in Burgundy that made everything click into place. Luke is self-taught, got the bug working harvests in New Zealand's Waipara Valley, Western Australia's Margaret River, and Germany's Mosel, then logged time at a string of Oregon cellars. You might know Luke from some Field tastings, or remember him from the Lares project we featured a few months ago! That one is more of his creative whatever goes goes label where he works with unfamiliar grapes and coferments. Statera is where that same restless energy gets super focused, and ... serious?

In 2015, they each put in $5,000, launched Statera via Kickstarter, and declared themselves Oregon's first Chardonnay-only house, which is a bold move in a region where Pinot Noir is essentially religion. The name is Latin for balance, and every wine in the lineup is named in Latin for its technique: Cutis means skin, as in skin-contact Chardonnay, which is where their reference points toward Jura and Slovenia rather than Burgundy become most obvious.

This fruit comes from Royer Vineyard, a SW-facing site on the tip of the Eola Hills, organically and dry farmed at 600-700 feet on volcanic soils. The Van Duzer Corridor (a gap in the Oregon Coast Range that funnels Pacific air straight into the valley every afternoon, dropping temperatures dramatically and keeping acid extra nice) has significant affects. Meredith and Luke ferment whole berry on the skins for two to four weeks, then age in neutral French oak for 16 months. Orange wine that tastes like somewhere else, most certainly.

Why'd we pick it?

Chardonnay-only winery in Oregon, is really the whole pitch. Meredith and Luke's projects are really thoughtful and resourceful, and the creativity that ensues from that ethos really comes through. And focusing on one grape exceptionally well and applying different techniques to the same grape is right up my alley of nerdness.

Field Notes

  • Tastes like: Candied orange peel and ripe apricot with a tannin grip and a long, honeyed mineral finish. Serious backbone on this one.
  • Serve it: straight outta the fridge!
  • Food pairings: Asparagus season is upon us and you should absolutely roast a bunch with olive oil and a fried egg on top. A lamb roast with herbs would also be a dream. And if the sun makes a nice appearance, pour this while you're grilling some King salmon.

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