13.9% abv. Recent auction purchase (2 bottles). Cork in great shape and came out in 1 piece with only the very bottom stained. Dark, deep golden color - almost orange. Not very appetizing, really, but I digress. This was a deep and rich chard, complex, long, and balanced. Integrated in a way that only age can bring. Not what would I would call youthful, but not exhibiting its age in a mature way. This should hold for a while yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really nice. Was better on day two. Quite a bit of peach and melon with a bit of citrus and a "stone" mineral element with a crisp acidity. Well done. Wish I had more '07's left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Flawed, but not completely bad. Tasted a bit maderized. Color was a darkish yellow, which may indicate oxidation. Opened two bottles and both were the same. Very disappointing for such an expensive chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Could use 1-3 hours of air. Absolutely delicious now. Nose of peach , flowers and pear with a touch of oak. The taste is smooth pear, peach, honey,... beautiful. Finishes smooth and long with a good bit of acid. Driink now and for the next 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium golden color, with aromas of Meyer lemon, pineapple, honey, and a hint of lychee. There’s a touch of saline appearing before and after a core of fresh pineapple, lime, and melon on the palate. Flavors of vanilla and oak are accretive and impart a nice creaminess. Expansive finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured at cellar temperature. This wine whows best just below room temperature. A fantastic effort by Jim Shultze! Clearly burgundian in style. The nose is of minerals, stone, oak, and stone fruits. The taste is similar to the nose with a good acid level. There is a tiny bit too much oak, but I expect this will lessen with time. It's been a year since I last tasted it and the oak presence has diminished. The finish is long and loaded with minerals. A keeper, for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My system (nose mouth finish) /++, nice not overblown chardonnay, great for food pairings, can go another 2-3 years in the cellar if I can wait that long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not that anyone should have noticed - but I have taken an extended leave from writing wine reviews. (I will admit that a vanity on my part admits it would have been nice if someone had noticed, but that has no bearing on the actual absence.) I would like to say that there was some deep significance to my absence, that I was off on exploration of the anosognosic’s dilemma. But, the reality is far more mundane - circumstances just got in the way. Hopefully the desire has been rekindled to both keep track of the cellar (which is a mess) and to report on the wines I drink.
I find it ironic that the bottle I selected for my return review was flawed. Not horrible flawed, but just not what a Windy Oak Chardonnay should taste like. Just as with the last bottle I tried, the cork came out hard and dried. The wine was not undrinkable, it did have all the usual Windy Oak characteristics, it was just slightly oxidized and sour. I drank half the bottle anyway. A somewhat off bottle of Windy Oak is still a pretty nice bottle of wine.
Last time I drank one of these (Aug) I thought it needed more time. Last night, it seemed ready to go. Some say (I used to) Windy Oaks makes wines in a Burgundian style...the more I drink Burgundy...the more I see these types of comparisons as silly. This was a nice wine, but it was Cali...all the way. Buttered popcorn nose opens to a lush and rich palate touched with oak, honey,caramel apple. Acidity is here, but I could use more. A nice Chardonnay that becomes somewhat one-dimensional with air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great Chardonnay. Beautiful balance of minerality, fruit, and acidity, framed by pleasant oak accents. The fruit character is very similar to a golden delicious apple. Mouth-filling flavors and a long finish. Based upon prior vintages, I think it should continue to improve over the next few years as the oak fades toward the background and the flavors integrate further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Third bottle of the evening. I had just picked it up from the winery and on a whim pulled it for dinner. From memory: This was a smooth transition from the French wines.with good fruit and balance. It has less "sparkle" compared to the other two (for lack of a better word) but held it's own quite well. It actually seemed more staid, adult and serious. I have one more that I will try pretty soon to get a better feel for this wine. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
“Quantity has a quality all its own” Joseph Stalin One of the nice attributes of CellarTracker is that shear quantity of reviews allow a certain kind of inference about the quality of a particular winery. In this case I am not talking about the wisdom of crowds, but rather a kind of statistical inference. You don’t have to read many reviews before you come to the realization that bottle variation is more of a problem with some wineries than others. Currently there are 313 reviews of Windy Oaks wines on CellarTracker. Of those there is only one review where there is even a hint of a flawed bottled and the reviewer was not sure in that case. Maybe one out of 313 over seven vintages indicates to me that the Jim and Judy take a great deal of care with their wine.
Which is why I was surprised to end up with a flawed bottled. The cork came out hard, dry, and a somewhat shrunk. No surprise that the wine was oxidized. Bummer, because I love their wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Based on how this wine showed only a few days after bottling, I thought it best to pop one Friday afternoon, pour off just a bit (and drink that bit of course), and let the rest sit uncorked in the fridge for 24 hours. Coming to it today, it is showing right up there with the 06 in terms of quality and characteristics. Excellent crispness and fruit framed by only a slight bit of oak and no real extended butteriness through the finish. This Burgundy styled Chardonnay is one of my favorites and I'm lucky to be able to get a few bottles of this small lot production each year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I only had 2 very small tastes, but I was intrigued enough to purchase 3 bottles. The nose is a bit oaky, as pointed out by the previous poster. I agree that it should mellow and integrate with a little time on it. The taste, forgiving the oak, was beautiful. Light, fresh fruits. Good acidity and tannin levels. I can't wait to try this in a year or two.
I picked up a bottle of '05 at a local store. I can't wait to try it. A friend recommended the '06 and I was going to buy it until I saw the '05 on the shelf, so I figured that I could try the '05 and compare notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Windy Oaks Open House (Windy Oaks Winery): This was just recently bottled and at the moment, it is showing a lot of oak on the nose. Has good palate presence and the oak is not super heavy but does need some time to integrate. I've got a few of these to lay down for a while and hopefully they will catch up to the 06s, which are awesome. I have no doubt it will come together nicely but it might take a little while. 13.9% abv
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/13/2024 - PIntag wrote: 94 Points
13.9% abv. Recent auction purchase (2 bottles).
Cork in great shape and came out in 1 piece with only the very bottom stained.
Dark, deep golden color - almost orange. Not very appetizing, really, but I digress.
This was a deep and rich chard, complex, long, and balanced. Integrated in a way that only age can bring. Not what would I would call youthful, but not exhibiting its age in a mature way. This should hold for a while yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2014 - TylerMcNinch wrote:
I'm very happy to report a return to form with this bottle. Delicious, mature flavors and vibrant acid. Drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2014 - TylerMcNinch wrote: flawed
Oxidative, with bruised apple scents and flavors, lacking verve. Hope this is just the one bottle. WO Chards usually age very well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2012 - Brsed wrote: 93 Points
Really nice. Was better on day two. Quite a bit of peach and melon with a bit of citrus and a "stone" mineral element with a crisp acidity. Well done. Wish I had more '07's left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2012 - Blue Shorts wrote: flawed
Flawed, but not completely bad. Tasted a bit maderized. Color was a darkish yellow, which may indicate oxidation. Opened two bottles and both were the same. Very disappointing for such an expensive chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2012 - Brsed wrote: 91 Points
Very elegant Chard. Nice, crisp fruit with excellent acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2011 - Blue Shorts wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Could use 1-3 hours of air. Absolutely delicious now. Nose of peach , flowers and pear with a touch of oak. The taste is smooth pear, peach, honey,... beautiful. Finishes smooth and long with a good bit of acid. Driink now and for the next 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2011 - scott davis wrote: 93 Points
Medium golden color, with aromas of Meyer lemon, pineapple, honey, and a hint of lychee. There’s a touch of saline appearing before and after a core of fresh pineapple, lime, and melon on the palate. Flavors of vanilla and oak are accretive and impart a nice creaminess. Expansive finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2011 - Blue Shorts wrote:
Needs more time. Good acid level and good fruit. Goes great with seafood. Next bottle in 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: 91 Points
50+5+12+17+8
Popped and poured at cellar temperature. This wine whows best just below room temperature. A fantastic effort by Jim Shultze! Clearly burgundian in style. The nose is of minerals, stone, oak, and stone fruits. The taste is similar to the nose with a good acid level. There is a tiny bit too much oak, but I expect this will lessen with time. It's been a year since I last tasted it and the oak presence has diminished. The finish is long and loaded with minerals. A keeper, for sure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2010 - xtrmjoe wrote: 91 Points
My system (nose mouth finish) /++, nice not overblown chardonnay, great for food pairings, can go another 2-3 years in the cellar if I can wait that long.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2010 - Brsed wrote: 92 Points
Very nice Chard but better on the second night. Layers of fruit but with a nice crisp acidity. Not flabby or buttery in my book.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2010 - NPWolfe wrote:
Not that anyone should have noticed - but I have taken an extended leave from writing wine reviews. (I will admit that a vanity on my part admits it would have been nice if someone had noticed, but that has no bearing on the actual absence.) I would like to say that there was some deep significance to my absence, that I was off on exploration of the anosognosic’s dilemma. But, the reality is far more mundane - circumstances just got in the way. Hopefully the desire has been rekindled to both keep track of the cellar (which is a mess) and to report on the wines I drink.
I find it ironic that the bottle I selected for my return review was flawed. Not horrible flawed, but just not what a Windy Oak Chardonnay should taste like. Just as with the last bottle I tried, the cork came out hard and dried. The wine was not undrinkable, it did have all the usual Windy Oak characteristics, it was just slightly oxidized and sour. I drank half the bottle anyway. A somewhat off bottle of Windy Oak is still a pretty nice bottle of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/15/2010 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Last time I drank one of these (Aug) I thought it needed more time. Last night, it seemed ready to go. Some say (I used to) Windy Oaks makes wines in a Burgundian style...the more I drink Burgundy...the more I see these types of comparisons as silly. This was a nice wine, but it was Cali...all the way. Buttered popcorn nose opens to a lush and rich palate touched with oak, honey,caramel apple. Acidity is here, but I could use more. A nice Chardonnay that becomes somewhat one-dimensional with air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2010 - elamasters wrote: 92 Points
Great Chardonnay. Beautiful balance of minerality, fruit, and acidity, framed by pleasant oak accents. The fruit character is very similar to a golden delicious apple. Mouth-filling flavors and a long finish. Based upon prior vintages, I think it should continue to improve over the next few years as the oak fades toward the background and the flavors integrate further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Quick notes: served warm and did not show well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2010 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
Third bottle of the evening. I had just picked it up from the winery and on a whim pulled it for dinner. From memory: This was a smooth transition from the French wines.with good fruit and balance. It has less "sparkle" compared to the other two (for lack of a better word) but held it's own quite well. It actually seemed more staid, adult and serious. I have one more that I will try pretty soon to get a better feel for this wine. Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2009 - NPWolfe wrote: flawed
“Quantity has a quality all its own”
Joseph Stalin
One of the nice attributes of CellarTracker is that shear quantity of reviews allow a certain kind of inference about the quality of a particular winery. In this case I am not talking about the wisdom of crowds, but rather a kind of statistical inference. You don’t have to read many reviews before you come to the realization that bottle variation is more of a problem with some wineries than others. Currently there are 313 reviews of Windy Oaks wines on CellarTracker. Of those there is only one review where there is even a hint of a flawed bottled and the reviewer was not sure in that case. Maybe one out of 313 over seven vintages indicates to me that the Jim and Judy take a great deal of care with their wine.
Which is why I was surprised to end up with a flawed bottled. The cork came out hard, dry, and a somewhat shrunk. No surprise that the wine was oxidized. Bummer, because I love their wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
Based on how this wine showed only a few days after bottling, I thought it best to pop one Friday afternoon, pour off just a bit (and drink that bit of course), and let the rest sit uncorked in the fridge for 24 hours. Coming to it today, it is showing right up there with the 06 in terms of quality and characteristics. Excellent crispness and fruit framed by only a slight bit of oak and no real extended butteriness through the finish. This Burgundy styled Chardonnay is one of my favorites and I'm lucky to be able to get a few bottles of this small lot production each year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2009 - Blue Shorts wrote:
Tasted at Windy Oaks Wine Club pickup.
I only had 2 very small tastes, but I was intrigued enough to purchase 3 bottles. The nose is a bit oaky, as pointed out by the previous poster. I agree that it should mellow and integrate with a little time on it. The taste, forgiving the oak, was beautiful. Light, fresh fruits. Good acidity and tannin levels. I can't wait to try this in a year or two.
I picked up a bottle of '05 at a local store. I can't wait to try it. A friend recommended the '06 and I was going to buy it until I saw the '05 on the shelf, so I figured that I could try the '05 and compare notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote:
Windy Oaks Open House (Windy Oaks Winery): This was just recently bottled and at the moment, it is showing a lot of oak on the nose. Has good palate presence and the oak is not super heavy but does need some time to integrate. I've got a few of these to lay down for a while and hopefully they will catch up to the 06s, which are awesome. I have no doubt it will come together nicely but it might take a little while. 13.9% abv
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment