THE STORY
The Windy Oaks tasting room in Carmel Valley is a great space for a party. Combine that with their impressive Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA – and you have a great event in the making. I’ve been talking to Angie, the tasting room manager, for sometime about hosting the American Wine Society Monterey Chapter. When I stopped there in June, I decided to do a quick tasting.
Yikes – It’s been 4 years since I have presented a post on Windy Oaks wines. The last one was here: Windy Oaks: Les Deux Grands Crus and More Pinot Noir!
THE WINERY
“Windy Oaks: Fine Wines With A Sense Of Place
“Windy Oaks Estate’s premium wines are grown in unique terroirs in Monterey and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Winemakers Jim and Judy Schultze have been offering fine wines with a sense of place since 1999.” You can read more about them here.
THE WINES
Today, I am presenting 5 Windy Oaks wines. Winery notes come from the tasting sheet or their website, unless otherwise indicated. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I don’t correct typos from winery websites. Today’s wines come from both Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. They have updated their tasting menu since I was there in June.
2020 Windy Oaks Sparkling Albariño, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, $49 (#1773)
Winery Notes: “Sourced from the Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County, the Methode Champenoise is utilized for a crisp and lively sparkling wine gauranteed to liven up any occasion!”
My Review: Light gold in the glass. Hint of apple on the nose. Tiny bubbles on the crisp, acidic palate with brioche on the finish. June 2026
2023 Windy Oaks Old Vine Viognier, Chalone AVA, Monterey County, $35 (#1774)
Winery Notes: “This dry, elegant and mineral-toned Viognier is beautifully textured and richly flavored with full body with apricot lemon honeysuckle and butter cream with hints of chalky stones and vanilla.”
My Review: Yellow/light gold and viscous in the glass. Heavy nose of grilled peach and toast. Rich palate of oak, peach, and Meyer lemon. There is a lot going on in this glass. Intriguing. Viognier is hard to find in Monterey County. This one was unexpected. June 2026
2022 Windy Oaks Henry’s Block Pinot Noir, Schultze Family Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, 13.6% ABV, $64 (#1775)
Winery Notes: “Henry’s Block is among the original plantings at Windy Oaks in the late 90’s. Named after one of our founders father: Henry. Single Acre, French/Swiss clone of Pinot Noir, Wadenswil 2A.”
My Review: Translucent ruby in the glass. Light cherry notes on the slightly sweet nose. I picked up alcohol on the nose, as well. Nice palate. June 2026
2022 Windy Oaks Clone 943 Pinot Noir, Escolle Vineyard, Rodeo Queen Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, Monterey County, $54 (#1776)
Winery Notes: “Dark ruby and aromatic the Rodeo Queen Clone 943 has an array of red fruits, spice, floral notes and subtle toasty French oak.”
My Review: A really pretty ruby in the glass. Macerated fruit with cherry and earthy notes. Rich dark fruit on the yummy palate, with a bit of smoke on the finish. June 2026
2021 Windy Oaks Night Owl Red, Monterey County, $25 (#1777)
Winery Notes: “A classic Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, that is delightfully playful, dark garnet/red hued and full of flavor with a medium weight body and easy textures captures Monterey County’s Mediterranean warmth and marine influenced cool/crisp detail.”
My Review: Garnet in the glass. Dark fruit and a little brown sugar on the nose. Grenache dominates the palate. A good food wine. June 2026
THE TASTING ROOMS
You can visit Windy Oaks at the winery in Corralitos, Carmel-By-The-Sea, and Carmel Valley Village. Check here for the details here: Visit Us. Please call 831-724-9562 for reservations and other pertinent info.
© Decanting Monterey 2026
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