Phillips Hill Winery
A beautiful open-air tasting experience
A gracefully aged setting for elegant wines
It was a halfway muggy day out in Philo, with the crazy midsummer thunderstorms that were dominating the inland news peeking out at us over the hills surrounding the picturesque Anderson Valley. Just over our heads, the clouds played out a slightly less electrical drama than their cousins to the east, piling themselves into imaginative towers and spinning out into intermittent wisps of blue. We were grateful it was no longer over 100 degrees, like it had reportedly been in the valley over the weekend – our cool coastal blood is too wimpy to handle temperatures like that! It was still in the high 80s though, and with the closeness of the air we could feel the threatening prickle of sweat as we stepped out of the car in front of Phillips Hill Winery.
Bosc, maybe?
We were a few minutes late for our reservation, but we waited by the welcome sign just at the edge of the path leading down to the tasting room, as the sign so courteously requested we do. Co-owner Natacha waved at us from a storeroom door as she pulled together a wine order for some other clients that were finishing up their own tasting, calling that she would be with us shortly. We waved back in agreement, content to look around the lavender garden and the antique apple and pear trees still lining this little section of what used to be a much larger orchard. We caught the sudden whisk of a small grey mouse dashing away to the hidden inner recesses of a hollowed out stump. We speculated as to the different heirloom varieties of pears on the trees. We observed the half hidden flash of lightning across the hills. Then we heard Natacha calling us, and we turned our attention to the historic apple dryer barn where our tasting awaited us.
What stories could this old apple tree tell?
We exclaimed in delighted as Natacha lead us into an open-air space under the second floor of the historic barn. Antique apple boxes were stacked up on the far end, an old apple chute still tilted out and down to carts that no longer came for their loads, and the loading dock our table stood on spanned what would be a busy little stream in the rainy season. Redwoods marched away from beside us, heading up to the hills along the path of the stream. It was a whimsically beautiful setting, with a very strong sense of location. Much as you can sort of visualize the land the grapes were born on when you savor the terroir of a wine, gazing around at this space under the barn was like rolling the softened notes of history around on your tongue and catching a glimpse of what once was and how it might be adding to the flavor of the now.
Such a fun find of a wine! And yes, we got some to pour at the inn…
As it was a midweek afternoon, we had Natacha and her expertise almost wholly to ourselves the entire time we were there. She stood back as we sat at our charming table and poured ourselves the first of the six little hand-labeled tasting bottles waiting for us. A dry 2018 Riesling – ah, so refreshing on a day like this! Our hostess dived into some of the details of the winemaking, speaking of stainless steel fermentation to achieve purity of flavor, the process of trial and error, the research of years to find the style of Riesling she and co-owner Tobi liked best. As we moved on to their brand new 2019 Gruner Vetliner – which was so delightfully crisp and bright, cooling and light – she shared a little of her own journey into the world of wine, of a legacy of family passion, a change of career, a convincing word that shifted thought-out plans and brought her to Mendocino. Then it was on to the 2019 Chardonnay, another delectably chilled glass of clean and straightforward refinement. Natacha took us on a mini tour of the barn, showing us the old drying racks above in what is now their winter tasting room, telling us a tiny bit of the history of the land, encouraging us to taste the soon-to-be-harvested Pinot Noir grapes just outside.
Natacha explaining how the old drying racks used to be used. Now they serve as a unique wine display!
As we sat back down, we pulled out the cork on another of our mini tasting bottles, which held a more aged Pinot than the fresh grapes we had just popped in our mouths – their 2017 vintage of the well known and well respected Oppenlander Vineyard from the secluded hills of Comptche. Complex and well developed, it was suitably followed by the 2016 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, whose subtle hue swirled with just the slightest tints of aged leather, cinnamon, and ancient redwood. It was an intriguingly beautiful glass, to be sure. The final little bottle on our table poured forth its contents – the Phillips Hill 2015 Tempranillo-Grenache blend. With a brisk, peppery bite, this wine finished us off on an up beat, leaving us poised and alertly ready for more. Alas, there was no more left to taste on our table, but then again, there were several specials listed on our tasting sheet, tantalizing us with the promise of further delightful glasses that we could enjoy later on at home…
The Oppenlander Pinot
Book your own tasting at the Phillips Hill Winery in Philo for your next visit! They are currently open Thursday-Monday, roughly 10:00-4:00, depending on the day. Reservations are required right now. Tasting fee of $12 is waived with a purchase of 2 or more bottles per person. If you’d like to take a picnic, book your tasting at one of their picnic tables either out on the lawn or under the weeping willow. It’s gonna be lovely!
Future wine, waiting for the magic to happen…
Words & photos by Laura Hockett