Taking Top Honors from Oregon
July 12th – Portland, OR — Audeant Wines, the limited-production winery led by winemaker Andrew Riechers crafting top-tiered Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rosé in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, is making headlines for their recent global acclaim awarded to them by the all-star panel of judges at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
At the London-based event which featured over 18,000 wines, their 2017 Audeant Willamette Valley Pinot Noir took home the only Platinum Medal & 97-point score awarded in the Oregon wine category – making it one of the highest rated wines in the world and the top-rated wine from Oregon in the competition. Further, with its 97-point rating, it stood shoulder to shoulder with other acclaimed California wineries as one of the top-rated wines from America.
“We are beyond excited to see our wines appreciated by the world’s most influential and experienced wine industry professionals,” stated Owner and Co-Founder Teal Walker. “We started Audeant with the intention of making wines that would rival the best in the world, and in just a few short years since our first release, here we are. I am so proud of Andrew and send a thank you to all the judges that weighed in at the Decanter World Wine Awards. It is truly an honor.”
In addition to taking the top spot in the category, a second single-vineyard offering – Audeant’s 2017 Luminous Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir – was awarded a Gold Medal and 95-points. Thus, adding another entry for Audeant to this year’s Oregon top-10 for the young winery.
The 18th edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards saw a record number of wines judged. Across 15 days, almost 170 expert wine judges, including 44 Masters of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers, evaluated 18,094 wines from 56 countries. It is widely considered to be the most prestigious wine competition in the world.
The Audeant program is led by Andrew Riechers – a young winemaker with seriously notable experience. Before Audeant, Andrew crafted wines at Antica Terra with Maggie Harrison, at J.K. Carriere with Jim Prosser, and spent valuable time working alongside legends in Burgundy, New Zealand, and California. It was not until 2016 that Andrew would join forces with Audeant Proprietor Teal Walker after bonding over a multiple hour wine tasting during her first ever visit to the Willamette Valley. The resulting partnership has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Audeant wines can be purchased online at their website www.audeant.com or by visiting their winery near Salem where they offer winemaker led wine tastings by appointment 5 days a week.
About Audeant Wines
Audeant Wines is a young brand that is quickly making a name for itself with collector’s and critics alike for their high-quality wines crafted in the world-famous Willamette Valley. They are building slowly, and for legacy with their end-goal of being known as a top-tiered producer of benchmark Pinot Noir, Rosé of Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay wines. Not just for Oregon, but for the world.
The name Audeant, Latin for may they dare, may they venture, may they risk was aptly chosen to serve as a guiding light for never taking the easy way out in their approach to winemaking, vineyard sourcing, and living life to the fullest.
In just under three years since their first release, they have consistently received high acclaim from top wine publications for their classically produced, elegant wines. Their single vineyard bottlings are made from some of the top vineyards in the region – Seven Springs, Nysa, Luminous Hills – and are often revered for their terroir transparency.
