In 1987, Joseph and Genevieve Roche founded and built Roche Winery. With an initial production of only 2,000 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they grew the brand to offer several additional varieties, including Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Muscat Canelli, and Gewürztraminer. It was never their intention to mass-distribute their wines; rather, they chose to sell their family’s wines directly to their customers. Joseph and Genevieve loved to entertain and hosted thousands of Roche customers over the years at winery events to thank them for their loyalty to Roche Winery.
This tradition continues today, 30 years later, as the second generation of the Roche family has assumed ownership and manages the day-to-day winery operations. Following in the footsteps of Genevieve and Joseph, the family and staff take pride in offering a uniquely genuine, welcoming, and unpretentious experience for all who visit the Roche tasting room. Roche Winery continues to grow under the direction of Joseph and Genevieve’s son, Brendan Roche, as their new Sonoma Valley Winery is set to open to the public in the Summer of 2019, and their production now exceeds 18,000 cases per year.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
OnCloudWine back again with a review of this 2021 Pinot Noir from Roche Winery & Vineyards. For reference while reading my review, I cracked open this bottle and let it sit for a good hour before my sunset dinner and tasting.
The wine opens with vibrant notes of ripe cherry that immediately draw you in, offering a bright yet layered introduction to the glass. On the palate, the fruit gives way to subtle earthy tones, grounding the wine and bringing balance to its fruity profile. Joining this dance of earth and cherry are hints of another dark fruit… maybe blackberry? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but its presence was there, just beneath the surface.
Right from the start, a gentle bite awakens the palate before quickly melting into a smooth, velvety finish. This delicate balance keeps the wine lively and engaging throughout the entire tasting experience of this Pinot Noir.
It paired beautifully with a homemade chicken pesto dish on a warm fall evening. The herbal notes of the pesto played in harmony with the wine’s earthiness, while the lightness of the chicken let the fruity cherry flavors shine through. A perfect match for my midweek reset and the changing of the season.
One of this wine’s greatest strengths is its versatility. With its balance of fruit, earth, and subtle bite, it’s the kind of bottle that can pair with just about anything.
Casual weeknight dinner? It will complement whatever you’re making. Upbeat dinner party? Everyone enjoys a velvety finish. Quiet night with a book and dessert? Cherry goes with just about anything (I’d recommend chocolate cake, it’s my night two pairing while I write this).
Thank you to the folks at Wine Country Connect for this bottle!!
@rjquillin 2014, IIRC. Hoping the winery shows up! It’s been a long time since I’ve had any Roche, but I still have a bottle of the 2013 Pinot futures I bought on that tour plus 2 bottles of the 2013 Reserve Merlot.
@klezman@rjquillin
I knew this winery sounded familiar. Had to have been the 2014 tour. End of day stop? I think my (now) wife and I may have skipped this one and walked back to the hotel. Sadly, I had a multi-day migraine throughout most of the tour, which put a damper on things.
@pmarin@zanderson45
There are lots of cats that could use some loving! I hope you’re not feeling like my sister, who was so crushed when her cat died that she never got another one, because she didn’t want to go through that again. It’s always painful, but I take some solace in knowing that I spoiled them and gave them a comfortable life.
@chipgreen@pmarin@zanderson45 I got curious too and googled it. It’s from an episode of “Call the Midwife,” but evidently it’s sad, so you might not want to watch it if you’re already sad.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Roche Winery Pinot Noir Duo - $50 = 18.51%
Very tempting! Nice specs and good rattage. Curious why there are so many Pinots at great prices recently. Besides the wine market struggling do Pinot grapes make more wine? Not complaining since Pinot is out favorite varietal followed by Rhône’s
Ok, now I feel bad. We’ve been bad community members for a while now. Too much stuff going on in the world, much of it downright soul crushing, so haven’t spent as much time online as we used to. And yet, magically, here we are because we were lucky enough to get a golden ticket!
Our wine was delivered to an alternate address we use since we’re never home during the day. Thankfully, my mom doesn’t judge me too much when mystery boxes show up at her house.
Wifey and I were able to pick our bottle up today. It was Roche’s 2020 Pinot Noir Reserve. We decided to open up the bottle there and then since there were multiple family members that were able to taste with us.
Upon first pop, got the classic funky manure smell we’d expect from “classy” Pinot. Don’t worry kids, it blew off after about 10 minutes. Once the funk was gone, more fruit came through on the nose, but it was still muted and earthy.
First sips were tart, tart, tart. Maybe sour cherries or black cherries. With time that also mellowed out. The consensus was that the Roche was tasty but a bit one-noted. We had tacos for a late lunch with the family. Not an ideal pairing but the Roche held its own just enough supporting the comment up above about the wine’s versatility.
We put the cork back in the bottle and headed home. We opened it back up probably 2 - 3 hours from the first pour and the wine definitely benefited from the time. By the final pouring, we got more of the classic spices and strawberries. Nose was muted and relatively short finish but tasty. This bottle would benefit from some time in a decanter for sure.
Overall, we enjoyed the bottle. Will we buy some, sadly, no. The price is right, especially at the case level, but we have enough wine at the moment, and this did not scream “must buy” to us. Your mileage will vary, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you hit the BUY button.
Thanks Casemates! Appreciate the opportunity to give the tasting muscles a run around the block again for old time’s sake!
2020 Roche Reserve Pinot Noir, Longford Vineyard, Carneros
Tasting Notes
Specs
2021 Roche Pinot Noir, Carneros
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not all wines for sale on winery website, $636/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 27 - Wednesday, Oct 29
Roche Winery Pinot Noir Duo
4 bottles for $89.99 $22.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Roche Reserve Pinot Noir, Longford Vineyard
2021 Roche Pinot Noir, Carneros
OnCloudWine back again with a review of this 2021 Pinot Noir from Roche Winery & Vineyards. For reference while reading my review, I cracked open this bottle and let it sit for a good hour before my sunset dinner and tasting.
The wine opens with vibrant notes of ripe cherry that immediately draw you in, offering a bright yet layered introduction to the glass. On the palate, the fruit gives way to subtle earthy tones, grounding the wine and bringing balance to its fruity profile. Joining this dance of earth and cherry are hints of another dark fruit… maybe blackberry? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but its presence was there, just beneath the surface.
Right from the start, a gentle bite awakens the palate before quickly melting into a smooth, velvety finish. This delicate balance keeps the wine lively and engaging throughout the entire tasting experience of this Pinot Noir.
It paired beautifully with a homemade chicken pesto dish on a warm fall evening. The herbal notes of the pesto played in harmony with the wine’s earthiness, while the lightness of the chicken let the fruity cherry flavors shine through. A perfect match for my midweek reset and the changing of the season.
One of this wine’s greatest strengths is its versatility. With its balance of fruit, earth, and subtle bite, it’s the kind of bottle that can pair with just about anything.
Casual weeknight dinner? It will complement whatever you’re making. Upbeat dinner party? Everyone enjoys a velvety finish. Quiet night with a book and dessert? Cherry goes with just about anything (I’d recommend chocolate cake, it’s my night two pairing while I write this).
Thank you to the folks at Wine Country Connect for this bottle!!
@OnCloudWine I’ve long been a fan of the pesto-Pinot pairing!
We visited the winery in the square during one of the rpm tours. 2012 or '14, don’t recall which
@rjquillin 2014, IIRC. Hoping the winery shows up! It’s been a long time since I’ve had any Roche, but I still have a bottle of the 2013 Pinot futures I bought on that tour plus 2 bottles of the 2013 Reserve Merlot.
@klezman @rjquillin There was an offer for a pair of '19’s here in February, no winery participation.
@kaolis @rjquillin good memory… I’d completely forgotten that
@kaolis @klezman
and so much for not getting that one entered in CT
@klezman @rjquillin
I knew this winery sounded familiar. Had to have been the 2014 tour. End of day stop? I think my (now) wife and I may have skipped this one and walked back to the hotel. Sadly, I had a multi-day migraine throughout most of the tour, which put a damper on things.
/giphy brassy-ditsy-person
@zanderson45 not related to wine at all. But what is that giphy sourcing? It’s a line that could have applied to me (when I had a cat
)
@pmarin @zanderson45
There are lots of cats that could use some loving! I hope you’re not feeling like my sister, who was so crushed when her cat died that she never got another one, because she didn’t want to go through that again. It’s always painful, but I take some solace in knowing that I spoiled them and gave them a comfortable life.
@pmarin who knows where casemates gets the order numbers from! Probably disgruntled IRK buyers lol
@chipgreen @pmarin @zanderson45 I got curious too and googled it. It’s from an episode of “Call the Midwife,” but evidently it’s sad, so you might not want to watch it if you’re already sad.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Roche Winery Pinot Noir Duo - $50 = 18.51%
Very tempting! Nice specs and good rattage. Curious why there are so many Pinots at great prices recently. Besides the wine market struggling do Pinot grapes make more wine? Not complaining since Pinot is out favorite varietal followed by Rhône’s
Ok, now I feel bad. We’ve been bad community members for a while now. Too much stuff going on in the world, much of it downright soul crushing, so haven’t spent as much time online as we used to. And yet, magically, here we are because we were lucky enough to get a golden ticket!
Our wine was delivered to an alternate address we use since we’re never home during the day. Thankfully, my mom doesn’t judge me too much when mystery boxes show up at her house.
Wifey and I were able to pick our bottle up today. It was Roche’s 2020 Pinot Noir Reserve. We decided to open up the bottle there and then since there were multiple family members that were able to taste with us.
Upon first pop, got the classic funky manure smell we’d expect from “classy” Pinot. Don’t worry kids, it blew off after about 10 minutes. Once the funk was gone, more fruit came through on the nose, but it was still muted and earthy.
First sips were tart, tart, tart. Maybe sour cherries or black cherries. With time that also mellowed out. The consensus was that the Roche was tasty but a bit one-noted. We had tacos for a late lunch with the family. Not an ideal pairing but the Roche held its own just enough supporting the comment up above about the wine’s versatility.
We put the cork back in the bottle and headed home. We opened it back up probably 2 - 3 hours from the first pour and the wine definitely benefited from the time. By the final pouring, we got more of the classic spices and strawberries. Nose was muted and relatively short finish but tasty. This bottle would benefit from some time in a decanter for sure.
Overall, we enjoyed the bottle. Will we buy some, sadly, no. The price is right, especially at the case level, but we have enough wine at the moment, and this did not scream “must buy” to us. Your mileage will vary, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you hit the BUY button.
Thanks Casemates! Appreciate the opportunity to give the tasting muscles a run around the block again for old time’s sake!