The 2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir is driven by a striking mineral profile and has notes of light clove, sage, and rose petal. The elegant texture upon the first sip expresses notes of darker fruits, bramble, and tart blackberry compote.
We’d like to introduce the Chouette Vineyard - As a noun itself, chouette is the word for owl in French. But as a slang term, you can use it to describe something you like or to say something or someone is cool. We love underlying meanings in words - so why wouldn’t this be a perfect new vineyard for the Kochana portfolio? A few miles closer to the Ocean than the Mil Vistas Vineyard, Chouette Vineyard gets cooler mornings with the marine fog. The rolling hills and Goldridge soil are a perfect location for growing Pinot Noir, our favorite.
What’s the famous saying? “Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Kochana Wines is a way for me to honor family members who made it possible for me to be who I truly am and want to be.
Because of my family, the love of winemaking, hard work, and dedication, Kochana Wines became tangible.
It has taken some time and a lot of learning, but Anie’s experiences have given her the ability to finally make wine for herself, as a woman winemaker in California. With her 12th harvest under her belt, there are still things to learn every day about the wine industry. Constant challenges that all winemakers face are something Anie grapples with now – Climate Change, social indifferences, supply chain demands – More reasons why she is thankful every time she gets wine to bottle from each of her vineyard designates. Though creating Kochana Wines has been Anie’s dream come true, she knows it’s not just about the winemaker. It is all about the relationships - the vineyard growers, the cellar workers, the salespersons, the consumers – all these aspects encompass the wine industry, and one would not exist without the other. So when drinking a bottle of great wine, it’s good to remind ourselves how much time, hard work and passion goes into making that bottle!
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I received the golden ticket (email from Alice) this morning and changed my plans in order to be home to sign for the delivery. Just 3 hours later, UPS arrived with the package. It was 85 degrees here today, so I immediately put the bottle in the basement so it could rest and gradually cool down for about 4 to 5 hours.
I wasn’t able to enlist the help of my usual lab rat contributor since this was so last minute. I’ll see if I can get some additional insight tomorrow evening perhaps. I used the De Long wine tasting note form to develop the notes below.
Color depth: Deep
Color hue: Ruby
Clarity: Clear
Aroma intensity: Moderate
Development: Youthful
Aromas: Sour cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, and something herbal.
Dry/Sweet: Dry
Body: Medium-full
Acidity: Tart
Tannins: Medium and round
Balance: Fair (will taste again tomorrow)
Flavor intensity: Flavorful
Flavors: Black cherry, strawberry, something herbal, and there was a distinct minerality to it.
Finish: Medium
Conclusion:
This is a well made wine with plenty of structure. Pinot Noir is a varietal I don’t drink as much since I tend to prefer bigger, bolder reds. However, I enjoyed this and I look forward to seeing how it develops over the next few days.
Many thanks to Kochana Wines, @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl and the entire Casemates crew for all the work you do. It’s much appreciated, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to be a Lab Rat. Cheers!
For anyone interested, here’s a link to the wine tasting note form that can be downloaded for free.
Sir Diego (our UPS personnel) personally delivered Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir. Given that this was delivered 10 hours ago, my review will be brief but on point.
From: Mary (liquor store owner)
Nose: Fruity
Body: Light
Taste: Easy to drink, notes of raspberry and nutmeg
Rating: 88 points for the lingering taste
From: Adam (the liquor store owner’s husband)
Nose: Sour
Taste: Plum and tangy, with oaky notes
Me: Chuck (sucker for Pinot)
Nose: Beaujolais nouveau
Body: Light and thin
Taste: Clean and crisp simple cali pinot. I like
Personal Comment: I will buy if under $15(solid bargain)
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir - $70 = 26.92%
May be my poor reading skills, but has anyone noticed - or know whether this wine was aged in American or French Oak? I’ve been waiting for a Sonoma coast Pinot - but shy away from oaked.
Perspective is a powerful thing. Not only is it helpful to have insights from other people, but it’s also helpful to compare wines side by side.
I don’t have much Pinot Noir on hand, but I found a 2013 Windrun PN that some of you might remember from the old site. Even without the Windrun for comparison, I’d say the Kochana was better on day two. It seems more balanced and integrated. I think it will age nicely if you give it some time, but a good decant should help if you prefer your wines young.
With the input from two other people, we all agreed on the following:
The Windrun had less fruit and had more dusty, leather, tanic notes. Which makes sense since it’s a 2013. The Kochana was definitely more fruit forward, which gave a slight perception of sweetness, but by no means is this a sweet wine. It’s tart, dry, and deep. It has more heft than a typical PN.
Final thoughts:
Considering the wine maker’s price of $45, all three of us said the Casemates price is a steal and provides great QPR. The Kochana manages to be a crowd pleaser of a wine, while still having enough complexity to remain interesting for those who want to analyze and dissect the different aspects of it.
After purchasing six cases of UC wine in the past few months I don’t need more wine but was hoping winemaker would’ve given me an “excuse” to buy a case to no avail. My wallet is thankful lol
@losthighwayz agree. Not everyone can be Scott Harvey or Larry Schafffer - who not only market but seem to enjoy and make an effort. I bought a case of this, but hope the wine speaks for itself. We all buy from people we like, and yeah, this one that came out on Tuesday has been pretty quiet. Next one is on an hour and 20 minutes and I can’t wait
@Leatherchair@losthighwayz
Given the WB comments with just a bit more @AniePez and a 4-pack offer would likely have pushed me to heat up the plastic as well.
2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$540.00/Case for 12x 2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir at Kochana Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 24 - Monday, Jul 1
2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir
3 bottles for $64.99 $21.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $189.99 $15.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
I received the golden ticket (email from Alice) this morning and changed my plans in order to be home to sign for the delivery. Just 3 hours later, UPS arrived with the package. It was 85 degrees here today, so I immediately put the bottle in the basement so it could rest and gradually cool down for about 4 to 5 hours.
I wasn’t able to enlist the help of my usual lab rat contributor since this was so last minute. I’ll see if I can get some additional insight tomorrow evening perhaps. I used the De Long wine tasting note form to develop the notes below.
Color depth: Deep
Color hue: Ruby
Clarity: Clear
Aroma intensity: Moderate
Development: Youthful
Aromas: Sour cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, and something herbal.
Dry/Sweet: Dry
Body: Medium-full
Acidity: Tart
Tannins: Medium and round
Balance: Fair (will taste again tomorrow)
Flavor intensity: Flavorful
Flavors: Black cherry, strawberry, something herbal, and there was a distinct minerality to it.
Finish: Medium
Conclusion:
This is a well made wine with plenty of structure. Pinot Noir is a varietal I don’t drink as much since I tend to prefer bigger, bolder reds. However, I enjoyed this and I look forward to seeing how it develops over the next few days.
Many thanks to Kochana Wines, @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl and the entire Casemates crew for all the work you do. It’s much appreciated, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to be a Lab Rat. Cheers!
For anyone interested, here’s a link to the wine tasting note form that can be downloaded for free.
https://www.delongwine.com/products/wine-tasting-note-form
Rat report here!
Sir Diego (our UPS personnel) personally delivered Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir. Given that this was delivered 10 hours ago, my review will be brief but on point.
From: Mary (liquor store owner)
Nose: Fruity
Body: Light
Taste: Easy to drink, notes of raspberry and nutmeg
Rating: 88 points for the lingering taste
From: Adam (the liquor store owner’s husband)
Nose: Sour
Taste: Plum and tangy, with oaky notes
Me: Chuck (sucker for Pinot)
Nose: Beaujolais nouveau
Body: Light and thin
Taste: Clean and crisp simple cali pinot. I like
Personal Comment: I will buy if under $15(solid bargain)
@mandoo500 $15.83 / bottle…it’s right on the border of the husband’s cutoff price. What will you do???
@TimW
definitely worth the extra $.83. I gave in.
@mandoo500 Sounds like it might be a real crowd pleaser served chilled at a picnic.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2022 Kochana Chouette Vineyard Pinot Noir - $70 = 26.92%
May be my poor reading skills, but has anyone noticed - or know whether this wine was aged in American or French Oak? I’ve been waiting for a Sonoma coast Pinot - but shy away from oaked.
A little useless winery background here
Also straight from the horses mouth “about 20% new French oak”
fwiw
@kaolis thank you for the info on the oak. I desperately need a weekend Pinot at a weekday price. Think this is it.
@Winedavid49 any chance this makes it to WI before June 26?
@kaolis good chance
Thanks for tasting the wine! If you have any other questions please let me know!
@AniePez Thanks for the oak info this morning!
@AniePez
Thanks for joining us! We just need @rjquillin or someone to help get you your grapes badge to help identify you as being the winemaker.
@AniePez @kaolis
Did I miss the oak post you reference?
Was it a whisper?
Deleted?
@AniePez thanks for joining. Can you possibly clarify - no American Oak?
@kaolis @rjquillin I used about 20% new French oak. An Allier Medium Toast Ramon barrel if you are interested in French Oak
@AniePez @rjquillin In my post above and Anie just answered too.
@AniePez 100% French oak? No American oak?
@Leatherchair nope no American oak
@AniePez thank you. Ordering a case within 30 seconds
Anyone in NE Ohio want to split a case?
@marjoryk
Sounds tempting but I am going to sit this one out.
@chipgreen it’s ok perhaps another time
Day two lab rat update…
Perspective is a powerful thing. Not only is it helpful to have insights from other people, but it’s also helpful to compare wines side by side.
I don’t have much Pinot Noir on hand, but I found a 2013 Windrun PN that some of you might remember from the old site. Even without the Windrun for comparison, I’d say the Kochana was better on day two. It seems more balanced and integrated. I think it will age nicely if you give it some time, but a good decant should help if you prefer your wines young.
With the input from two other people, we all agreed on the following:
The Windrun had less fruit and had more dusty, leather, tanic notes. Which makes sense since it’s a 2013. The Kochana was definitely more fruit forward, which gave a slight perception of sweetness, but by no means is this a sweet wine. It’s tart, dry, and deep. It has more heft than a typical PN.
Final thoughts:
Considering the wine maker’s price of $45, all three of us said the Casemates price is a steal and provides great QPR. The Kochana manages to be a crowd pleaser of a wine, while still having enough complexity to remain interesting for those who want to analyze and dissect the different aspects of it.
@kawichris650 now I need to see if I have any of those Windrun Pinots still hanging around lol
@AniePez Love the label. What’s the story behind it? Also, any technical specs you can provide? Any stem inclusion?
Thank you
@losthighwayz @AniePez
After purchasing six cases of UC wine in the past few months I don’t need more wine but was hoping winemaker would’ve given me an “excuse” to buy a case to no avail. My wallet is thankful lol
@losthighwayz agree. Not everyone can be Scott Harvey or Larry Schafffer - who not only market but seem to enjoy and make an effort. I bought a case of this, but hope the wine speaks for itself. We all buy from people we like, and yeah, this one that came out on Tuesday has been pretty quiet. Next one is on an hour and 20 minutes and I can’t wait
@Leatherchair @losthighwayz 45 minutes! Lol
@Leatherchair @losthighwayz
Given the WB comments with just a bit more @AniePez and a 4-pack offer would likely have pushed me to heat up the plastic as well.