Cortes de Cima

Cortes de Cima was established in 1988 when Hans and Carrie Jørgensen, a Danish-American couple, arrived in Portugal by sailboat and settled in the Alentejo. The first vines were planted in 1991 in a region historically dominated by white varieties, and the estate produced its first harvest in 1996. From the outset, the founders took a pioneering approach, introducing red grapes, particularly Syrah, to a landscape that had not widely grown them.

• Founded 1988 by Hans Jørgensen (Danish-American) and Carrie Jørgensen (American)
• First vines planted 1991; first harvest 1996
• Located in Vidigueira, Alentejo, near the Serra do Mendro hills at 400 meters elevation
• Estate uses Vinho Regional Alentejano classification for flexibility with grape varieties

In 1998, Cortes de Cima released Incógnito, a Syrah-based wine produced before Syrah was an officially sanctioned grape in the Alentejo appellation. The wine won international awards and created enough momentum to push regulators to accept Syrah as an approved variety for the region. This single release reshaped the grape-growing possibilities of one of Portugal's most important wine regions and established the estate's reputation as a rule-bending innovator.

• Incógnito released in 1998, the first Syrah wine produced in Alentejo
• Technically 'illegal' at release because Syrah was not yet an approved variety
• International award wins prompted Alentejo regulators to approve Syrah in the appellation
• Established Cortes de Cima as a pioneering force in Portuguese wine

Anna Jørgensen took ownership and the winemaking lead in 2019, initiating a dramatic shift in both philosophy and practice. The estate moved away from its former fruit-forward, technologically advanced style toward low-intervention, terroir-driven winemaking. The vineyard area was reduced from 240 hectares to under 100 hectares at the Vidigueira site, and monoculture farming gave way to a polyculture system. Organic certification was achieved in 2022. Pedro Parra, a respected terroir consultant, advises on dry-farming practices.

• Anna Jørgensen took over in 2019, shifting the estate to organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming
• Vineyard area reduced from 240 hectares to under 100 hectares at Vidigueira
• Organic certification granted in 2022
• Terroir consultant Pedro Parra guides dry-farming practices

The estate's 140 hectares of vines are split between two distinct sites. The main Vidigueira vineyard sits near the Serra do Mendro, with clay topsoils over granite or limestone subsoil and a warm Mediterranean climate. The coastal vineyard, 40 hectares located 3 kilometers from the Atlantic near Vila Nova de Milfontes, sits on volcanic and granite rock decomposed into sand and benefits from Atlantic cooling influence. This contrast allows the estate to grow a wide range of varieties, from native Portuguese grapes to international varieties including Syrah, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc.

• Vidigueira: clay topsoils over granite or limestone subsoil, Mediterranean climate
• Coastal site: volcanic and granite-derived sandy soils, Atlantic influence
• Coastal vineyard is 3 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean near Vila Nova de Milfontes
• Varieties include Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Alicante-Bouchet, Alvarinho, Arinto, and more

The winery operates with a capacity of approximately 2,000 tons. Beyond the vineyards, the broader estate encompasses over 40 hectares of olive trees and 100 hectares of cork forest, reflecting the polyculture model Anna Jørgensen has implemented. Wines are released under the Vinho Regional Alentejano classification, giving the estate freedom to use grape varieties that may fall outside the stricter Denominação de Origem Controlada rules.

• Winery capacity approximately 2,000 tons
• Estate includes 40+ hectares of olive trees and 100 hectares of cork forest
• Vinho Regional Alentejano classification allows use of non-traditional varieties
• Farming transitioned from monoculture to polyculture system