On Top of the World at Albatross Ridge

October 14, 2022 – It had long been a goal of mine to visit the place where Garrett Bowlus’ great grandfather, William “Hawley” Bowlus, landed his Albatross sailplane in the hills above Carmel Valley, back in the 1930s. If you look at the label of an Albatross Ridge bottle, you will see the image of said sailplane. It looks at once flimsy as heck and gusty as the bird for which it was named. 

A little background is perhaps in order. Hawley was a pioneering sailplane engineer who oversaw construction of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. He also designed a sailplane kit for brave do-it-yourselfers and built three aircraft on display in the Smithsonian. He also designed the original Airstream trailer. However, being an engineer and not necessarily a businessman, neglected to secure a patent. While he was once a large landowner, Hawley slowly lost his holdings and died pretty much broke. We hope he had some fun along the way. 

Fortunately, his spirit of adventure and perhaps some appreciation of hard learned lessons has been genetically transmitted directly to his grandson Bradford and Brad’s son Garrett. In their search for the perfect place to plant Burgundian varieties in California, they eventually landed here on the Central Coast. As in landed right at the spot that Hawley had once touched down in his Albatross sailplane. What are the odds? 

Just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean, this place, where the late Peter Figge planted Pelio Vineyard and where Robb Talbott’s Diamond T vineyard still turns out some of Talbott’s most breathtaking wines, turned out to be the very same ridge from which Hawley had tested his Albatross sailplane almost 100 years ago. Brad had to have this place. He purchased the 72-acre parcel in 2007. 

Do swallows return to Capistrano every year? This could be genetic.

Suffice it to say that father and son are so besotted by this wind-kissed collection of the most perfect hillocks, they not only have 25 acres planted, with expert guidance from Figge himself, but more are in the works. There’s no doubt that the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown here portray in their litheness the sandiness of the soil and the salinity of the ocean air. It’s as if a snippet from a Langston Hughes poem is suspended in each sip. 

But, wait. This story is supposed to be about a party. When my friend Ann and I were whisked up through the Carmel sandstone littered with rocks and shells, to the destination for the Albatross Ridge Open House, we knew we were in for something special. Climbing out of the scrubby live oaks and chamisal at the bottom of the property, through a series of gates, we ascended through increasingly steep hills, 

where enormous California oaks staked out massive territory, pretty much declaring their own zip codes on each rounded hill. The air was brisk, yet sunshine-endowed, with the sense of eternal optimism that reaffirms our innate ability to soar like a bird, perhaps an albatross, unfettered. Did you know they can fly upwards of 500 miles in a single day, barely flapping their wings? Hawley clearly appreciated their intrepid efficiency. 

We exited the bus at the top of the vineyard, where a band was performing with all their heart and soul, while a righteous barbecue was served with actual flatware, on tented tables with white tablecloths and a sense of a picnic perched atop it all. The views from here sweep to the west, where the castlelike ramparts of the fog wall held a steady presence all day, and to the east, where Laureles Grade creates a natural boundary, as it hurtles headlong down to Bernardus Lodge. The sun blinds you with its proximity, and yet its parching nature is kept in check by the persistent moisture of the west wind. 

Garrett was serving up some prime selections from the cellar, including the Cuvee Beaudry Chardonnay, done in a mix of neutral oak and juicy with citrus, the Cuvee Vivienne Pinot Noir, and the 2019 Estate Chardonnay, which sports some new oak to give it amazing depth. Tasting wines where they are born is always enlightening. These vines have it pretty good. 

While Garrett poured, Brad wanted to serve up a geography lesson or two, so we piled into in his beautiful new Platinum Ranch Edition Mule to check out the property. First stop was the “Top of the World” spot that Brad and his wife Jill have carved out for their late afternoon into sunset viewing, complete with gazebo. It’s a fairly easy hike up from the parking pad, where we spied two RVs, neither of them Airstreams. Brad and Jill love their fifth wheels and spend a lot of time hanging out up here. At some point, they will construct a home at one of the four primo building sites on the property. “We want to have homes here for all our family,” Brad told us. “There are four sites with almost 360 degree views.” He also showed us where else they intended to plant vines. “Look over there,” he said, pointing to a car that had flown off the Laureles Grade decades ago. “That has been there forever. We’ve seen others. Lots of interesting stuff in these hillsides.” One can well imagine all the stories, the lore, the dreams realized, and crashed to bits.

The Bowlus family has every intention of making this their home and their legacy. And they are not alone. As much as they are a singular force to be reckoned with, having to date opened three tasting rooms in the region, each with a different spin and ambience, other winegrowing families in the area are determined to carve out this place as a unique bit of terroir worth tagging as its own AVA. Although it may seem that sub AVA-itis is as contagious as the latest Covid variant, these folks, including the Pelio’s, have a good case. 

“We want to call it Carmel Coast,” says Brad, who has the temerity to have already emblazoned this on the front of the Mule. 

“Whether that name sticks or not,” he says, “We feel we have a pretty good chance of success.”  Indeed, if the TTB approves their petition or not, it’s completely inconsequential. 

This little piece of earth will continue producing wine that tastes like sunshine and seashells. And there is everything right with that. 

Hawley must feel completely vindicated. He has finally landed where he always belonged.