Three Days with Two Audeant Pinots

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Springtime in Oregon is always a bit crazy, but is it just me, or does 2022 weather seem a bit extreme? Snow in April, freezing temperatures, hail one minute, the sun the next, there were even talks of small tornados for this week. I live for the summer in Oregon, and it can’t get here soon enough!

Speaking of the crazy weather. Many vineyards are reporting issues with frost. We had some beautiful days in April, bud break occurred all over the place, but those buds are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. From what I can tell, some primary shoots were affected, but the secondary ones were ok. It’s sad to see, and fingers crossed the time between now and harvest goes nice and smooth.

Oregon is known for Pinot and is starting to make a name for itself with Chardonnay, but did you know Brianne Day from Day Wines is working with 25 different grape varieties within the Willamette Valley?

Chosen Family Wines is constantly pushing the boundaries, and this week announced they are working with Vinohead on a new project called X-Drop to bring a new generation to the world of wine.

Were you aware Oregon has 22 AVAs? Were you also aware of the labeling laws for wine so it can go to market? I found this article from Wine Enthusiast written by Paul Gregutt fascinating. Paul also has a website you should check out. From what I have read, he is working on an Oregon wine book that I cannot wait to read!

The Jackson Family, who has ownership in Gran Moraine, Penner-Ash, WillaKenzie, the Zena Crown vineyard, and a few other properties in Oregon, purchased their first property in Washington last week. Abeja Winery in Walla Walla now part of the Jackson Family portfolio.

On the flip side, not all acquisitions are big-time corporations. Two Oregon residents purchased Witness Tree Vineyard this week.

I am reading Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals By Oliver Burkeman. The chapter “Staying on the Bus” mentions Jennifer Roberts, who teaches art history at Harvard. It is no surprise her first assignment for every student is to pick a painting or a sculpture and look at it for three hours straight. No phones are allowed, and the only minority acceptable reason to leave is for a restroom break.

Oliver took on the assignment, and after 45 minutes of looking at a picture, he began to notice so many details a passer-by wouldn’t start to pick up on. I mention this for a couple of reasons. First, our day-to-day lives are packed to the brim for most of us. There is no way we have the time to sit in front of a painting for three hours. Maybe we need to find a way to make this happen, though? Another way of putting it would be, “To stop and smell the roses.” I don’t think we do this enough.

I mention it because I am guilty as charged for not stopping and taking notice. I didn’t take enough time to appreciate the 2019 Audeant Luminous Hills Pinot in this particular instance. Wine, just like everyone reading this newsletter, is on a journey. Sitting down to enjoy what is in the glass can be beyond difficult when we are caught up in the day-to-day operations of life. How many of us can sit in front of a painting for three hours without our phones?

I will probably lose a few of you because I am going to geek out a little about wine. In particular, I want to talk about structure. We all know structure when it comes to the foundation of a house, making it last over time, providing safety and comfort for our loved ones. When the term structure is used in wine, it goes hand in hand with the structure of a house. For me, the structure of wine incorporates tannins and acidity. Tannins bring a bitter mouth sensation. Acidity is the amount of saliva produced in the mid-palate. When you have a wine with high levels of tannins and acidity, the structure of the wine is solid, meaning the age-ability of the wine is relatively high. If you have had a young Cab Sauv and didn’t like the dryness in your mouth, those are tannins. Over time the tannins relax, and the wine takes on completely different characteristics.

“May they dare, may they venture, may they risk” are the words you read when visiting Audeant’s website. In January 2020, I received a new subscriber to my newsletter coming from audeant.com. I was curious, decided to visit the website, and signed up for their newsletter because I hadn’t heard of this winery before. A couple of days later, I received an email from Andrew at Audeant asking me how I came about the website. Come to find out, Teal, who signed up for my newsletter, was the proprietor, and Andrew was the winemaker.

The email conversation with Andrew continued into a tasting a week or so later in the winery at Lingua Franca. I will never forget Andrew pouring his Rose for me, it was way too dark for a Rose, and it blew my socks off. As we tasted through a few more tastings, Andrew told me about Teal and her husband, Dan. They were scheduled to visit another wine region, pretty sure it was Napa, but they ended up in Oregon instead. While they were in Oregon, they planned a tasting with Maggie Harrison at Antica Terra. Maggie had Andrew, her assistant winemaker, take her place. Three hours later, Teal and Dan left after Andrew knocked it out of the park for their tasting.

Dan and Teal had the idea of starting their label before meeting Andrew, and there was a spark between the three of them that day at Antica Terra, setting in motion what Audeant is today. 2016 was their first vintage, but before any wine was produced, the trio sat down, tried wines from all over the world, deciding what Audeant’s wine should taste and feel like. I remember Teal telling me, “Andrew’s goal is to make the best Pinot Noir in the world.”

Saying you will make the best Pinot Noir in the world is bold, but go back to their motto, “May they dare, may they venture, may they risk.” How many of us are willing to dare, venture and risk? What is the point if we aren’t ready to try some things and learn from our failures? Life is all about experiencing our surroundings while growing into better human beings. Also, if you have never met Andrew, you need to set up a tasting with him ASAP! His storytelling and energy are beyond all belief, plus he is willing to talk all levels of wine with you. I made the rookie mistake when I met him by asking, “What are some of your favorite wineries?” Geez, knowing what I know now, what an impossible question to answer.

Currently, Audeant makes a Rose that sells out immediately, three Pinots (Audeant, Nysa, Luminous Hills, and a Seven Springs Chard. They also planted a vineyard on Parrett Mountain that should come online this year. I can’t wait to taste fruit from this site. There isn’t a wine Andrew makes that doesn’t make me weak at the knees.

Besides Andrew and Teal being extraordinary down-to-earth people making killer wines, I marvel at how organized they have been executing their vision. It is not cheap starting a wine label, but instead of buying everything up front, they were able to share space with Lingua Franca, buy grapes, and slowly make a name for themselves. It will be fantastic to see where Audeant is in three to five years.

Did you notice how much of a tangent I went off on? I had to stop myself from talking about the story behind Audeant. There is so much more I could ramble on about, but we are here to talk a bit about structure and patience.

Once the cork has been popped, a general rule of thumb about wine is to consume the bottle within 2-3 days. The purpose of a cork is to seal the wine with the smallest amount of exposure to oxygen possible. Once the cork is off, it’s game on for the wine and oxygen to commingle, speeding up the wine aging process.

So here’s what I did. I opened two bottles of Pinot from Audeant. One was the 2019 Luminous Hills, and the other was the 2019 Nysa. I usually consume these bottles in two days because I adore the ever-loving heck out of them, but I forced myself to sit in front of the painting with no cell phone for six days. I would have gone longer, but my upbringing caught up with me. I couldn’t help myself after the third lick of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop.

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Day One

• Luminous Hills - On the nose super deep dark fruit, high acidity and tannins aka killer structure.
• Nysa - Earthiness on the nose, mid-palate, and finish with gorgeous dark fruit. High acidity and tannins nicely integrate for a stunning finish.

Day Two

• Luminous Hills - Not much has changed from day one. The structure is still firmly in place.
• Nysa - The earth tones aren’t as noticeable from day one, giving way to the dark fruit becoming more prominent. Acidity is still there, and tannins are becoming silky.

Day Three

• Luminous Hills - Wow, there is incredible red fruit on the nose interwoven with hints of dark fruit. The tannins and acidity are still firmly in place. This wine can easily go for a couple more days!
• Nysa - The earth tones have subsided, giving way to a sultry silkiness whose only purpose is to make you weak in the knees.

Day Four

• Luminous Hills - The dark fruit on the nose is way more pronounced, tannins are still in place, and the finish has the delicious spiciness I enjoy from the Luminous Hills. Acidity is still holding firm!
• Nysa - I had to stop myself from pouring another sample. I seriously wanted to grab the bottle, sit on the couch, and binge-watch Better Call Saul. Patience, Tootsie Roll Tootise Pop....

Day Five

• Luminous Hills - Not much difference from day four. The dark fruits are still super prominent with great tannin and acidity structure. I made sure there was just enough for the last day of testing.
• Nysa - I might have poured myself too much today for the Nysa. There is the teeniest amount left for tomorrow. There isn't much difference from day four.

Day Six

Both wines could have kept going. Unfortunately, I enjoyed both of them way too much and didn’t have the patience to continue for the 7th day. Even after sitting on my counter with a cork halfway pushed into the bottle, both surpassed the general rule of thumb to drink a wine 2-3 days after opening.

If I had to guess how long these last, without blinking an eye, I would say 20-25 years. I base this on some 20+ year-old Oregon Pinots I have had the luxury of tasting. Andrew's goal with the Rose is to put down and save. I can only imagine what Andrew's logic is on Pinot.

The commitment to the vision and winemaking prowess of Audeant is outstanding on so many levels! I am a little ashamed to say how many bottles of Audeant I have held back for this exact reason. So here’s a suggestion for you. Buy a journal. The hardback LEUCHTTURM1917 journal from Amazon is my favorite! Use it to take notes on your purchase of three bottles of either the Luminous Hills or Nysa from Audeant. The first bottle is to drink immediately and note what you smell, taste and feel. Open the second bottle six months down the road, jot down your notes and compare. Save the third bottle for at least a year. Continue using the journal for all of the other wines you consume.

If you’re not ready to purchase wine, I get it. You should at least set up a tasting with Andrew and experience these wines for yourself. Not too long ago, Erin Brooks from Robert Parker called the 2019 Luminous Hills “A Wine That’s Under the Radar.”

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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