Occasionally I find it imperative to tell a winery story as soon as I try their wines. Yesterday in my tasting set I tried wines from a new Oregon winery and was massively impressed with what I saw in the glass. The degree of tension in the wines and sterling sense of mineralty, while providing a soft, supple texture rang true in this small set of wines.
Andrew Reichers reached out to me several weeks ago, telling his story in wine. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, he has a long-standing history in the wine industry, originally starting his career with helping with wine production in Santa Barbara at a bulk wine facility. Andrew was the first employee at Sanguis under epic winemaker Matthias Pippig and has also spent time in New Zealand, at Burn Cottage, and in Burgundy in the Haute Cote working for Claire Naudin at Domaine Naudin Ferrand. More recently Andrew has served for five years as the assistant winemaker at Antica Terra and Lillian with Maggie Harrison prior to joining and founding Audeant Wines with Proprietor, Teal Walker, in 2016. Needless to say, Andrew has a very impressive resume, and it shows in what you taste in the glass.
One of the great Rose wines that I have sampled so far out of Oregon, from the 2018 vintage is the Audeant Rose (WWB, 91) which has a silky texture and impressive aromatic and flavor range. Even better is the dazzling 2017 Audreant ‘Nysa Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93). Andrew has now worked his seventeenth harvest, and eleventh in Oregon. I will be excited to see how his wines evolve moving forward. Learn more about this exciting new winery at https://www.audeant.com Here are the beautiful new wine releases by Audeant.
2018 Audeant Rose- Very delicate red fruits and rose water and a light stony character line the nose. The palate has good freshness and a silky texture. The bright acidity impresses as lighter citrus rind and guava flavors combine with wet stone accents. I love the range here, as the mouth-watering acidity completes this great new wine. Drink 2020-2024- 91
2017 Audeant ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- This entry level bottling opens with spiced red fruits that dance with shades of Mandarin orange zest and peat moss tones that all collect momentum in the glass. The palate shows bright acidity alongside a beautiful core of red fruits that mingle with minerals, wild mushroom and blood orange undertones. This is seriously good stuff that is best enjoyed in its youth, while the brightness remains. Drink 2020-2027- 92
2017 Audeant ‘Luminous Hills Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Luminous Hills Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is an outstanding new release by Audeant. Bright Bing cherries and peat moss tones jump right out of the glass, with citrus rind accents rounding out this expressive nose. The palate shows vibrant acidity with a silky mouthfeel and wonderful texture. The seamless quality of the wine is apparent. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this beautiful wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2017 Audeant ‘Nysa Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Deeply colored once in the glass, the ‘Nysa Vineyard’ Pinot Noir shows bright dark cherry and volcanic terroir on the nose. The palate has wonderful viscosity, tension and length, with a long, blackberry and mineral-driven finish. The stony, terroir really comes through nicely, connecting with the core of dark fruits. Fantastic to enjoy right now, the ‘Nysa Vineyard’ Pinot Noir will continue to provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2033- 93