ACCOLADES

In 1983, when the Carmel Valley was approved as one of the earliest American Viticultural Areas (AVA), the region’s primary focus was growing hearty Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties in the warm canyons that extend to the southeast, away from the frigid waters of the Monterey Bay. But in recent decades, with Pinot Noir’s popularity on the rise and many seeking fresher styles of wine, vintners began planting on hillsides that sit much closer to the sea, where steady ocean breezes keep temperatures cooler all year long.

Today, there are about 90 acres of mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards being grown on these exposed slopes, which are less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean and just outside of the northwest boundary of the Carmel Valley AVA. With another dozen acres in the works and the potential to more than double that acreage in the future, a small community of vintners—led by the owners of Pelio, Messier and Albatross Ridge vineyards—are now advocating for their own appellation to showcase this distinct terroir. In October, they submitted an application to the federal government to create the Carmel Coast AVA, which would encompass more than 4,100 total acres…

Garrett Bowlus stumbled into the region on a family vacation about 15 years ago, around the time he and his father were thinking of planting vines in Oregon. They learned that Pinot wasn’t picked there until late October, sometimes November, even with budbreak in March. “That was a good sign to us,” says Bowlus. “The hangtime is just crazy.”

He was further entranced by the soils, a chalky mix of sedimentary rocks, much of it uplifted ancient seabed full of diatomaceous earth. “When you walk up there, it’s all stone, just everywhere,” he says. “The project took on a bigger scale because it was so exciting.”

Instead of planting a handful of acres in Oregon, Bowlus and his father went all in, developing 25 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on windswept hilltops. They called the vineyard Albatross Ridge—a nod to a great-grandfather who flew sailplanes off these same ridges in the 1930s—and became the most public proponents for the region, even putting “Carmel Coast” on their labels…

Building Family Legacies
WINE ENTHUSIAST, May 2019
Amazement abounds at Albatross Ridge Vineyaryd, which sits at heights of 850 to 1,250 feet atop a wind-whipped crest above the Carmel Valley. The views are jaw-dropping, but growing conditions are harsh, and the 25 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines planted here struggle to survive.

Bowlus and his family bought the property in 2007, and it wasn’t until after planting vines a year later while searching for a business name that they learned just how serendipitous the purchase had been: Bowlus’s great-­grandfather, William Hawley Bowlus, had flown a glider called the Albatross off these same ridges in the 1930s.

“There have been lean times, in terms of the low yields, and the [2017 Soberanes wildfires] and all the crap that goes with starting a business that relies on Mother Nature,” says Bowlus. “But because of that history, we’ve just got to keep riding this out.”

They now produce roughly 3,000 cases of wine annually across seven different bottlings that are as incredibly unique as their story. Bowlus plans to add another 11 or so acres of vines soon, encouraged by neighbors who are also planting. He may even propose the creation of a new Carmel Coast appellation, or American Viticultural Area (AVA).

“Everyone has always been friendly, but in the last five years, everybody has gotten so much closer,” he says of the current group of winemakers. “Everyone is working together more, and we’re able to make good wine from awesome sites.”

Wine Enthusiast

Albatross Ridge’s Garrett Bowlus drives me to the top of a ridgeline that stares at the Monterey Bay, where his family recently planted 25 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. On land near where his grandfather tested Albatross sailplanes decades ago, it’s one of the most dramatic vineyards I’ve ever seen….”
-Matt Kettmann, December 2016

“There’s great backstory and foresight to this coastal-influenced project. It’s a vineyard to watch.”
-Matt Kettmann, May 2016

Wine Review Online

“I love discovering a new producer and having that first experience make me want to delve further into their portfolio. My first taste of this Chardonnay from winemaker Garrett Bowlus and his father Brad does just that. I can’t wait to taste their Pinot Noir! Albatross Ridge is a new player to watch!”
-Rich Cook, December 2015

“Garrett Bowlus is interested in producing wines that show richness and complexity while remaining light and sophisticated, and he’s consistently hitting the mark.”
-Rich Cook, November 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

“Here are seven small-batch, family-owned, locally sown operations. While still much younger than the vast majority of local wineries (and tasting rooms), family-run Albatross — named for the paper-wing airplanes winemaker Garrett Bowlus’ great grandpa once flew in Carmel Valley — has earned a following quickly, particularly among adventurous wine lovers (and, notably, sommeliers) for cool-climate and mineral-driven rosés, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The space is understated but stylish, with reclaimed barn wood and retro, heavy iron swivel stools along a stone-and-wood tasting bar. A little winery, and a little tasting room, with big abilities, doing single-vineyard tastes.”
-Mark Anderson, September 2016

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2018

Albatross Ridge – 3 Stars: Well known, highly reputed
“Young producer, beautifully balanced Pinot Noir, finely etched Chardonnays from cool vineyard in Carmel Valley, seven miles from Pacific, on rare California limestone. Wines have unmistakably calcareous lift.”
-Jordan Mackay, September 2017

Houston Lifestyles & Homes

“Certainly the most delicious Chardonnay I’ve had from Carmel Valley.”
-Denman Moody, February 2016

San Francisco Chronicle

“Albatross Ridge winery finds daning in coastal site – When the right alchemy of soil, climate and grape clone come together, a wise winemaker gets out of the way, and the results evoke terroir, and something deeper. Something like destiny. The warm days and cool nights coax complexity and minerality from Pinot and Chardonnay given long hang times by the Pacific 7 miles away — and buzz among soulful sommeliers and wine lovers seeking out grape juice different from the big, fruity, traditional California style.”

-Mark Anderson, September 2015

Sacramento Magazine

In downtown Carmel, one special stop is Albatross Ridge. Named after the specialized seaplanes tested on the Monterey slopes by famed engineer and pilot William Hawley Bowlus in the 1930s, this small winery was started by his descendants in 2006. Today, Bowlus’ great-grandson Garrett crafts a stellar selection of his family’s estate wines with chardonnay and pinot noir grapes grown at elevations of 850 to 1,250 feet above Carmel Valley. ‘Thanks to our heavy maritime influence, the grapes ripen very slowly, which helps them develop more layers of flavors before we pick,’ says Bowlus. ‘My job is to capture these flavors inside each bottle we make at Albatross Ridge.’”
-Christopher Sawyer, September 2016

“I just wrote about Albatross Ridge in Sacramento Magazine and I will continue to write about them because this is one of those brands to get to know now.”
-Christopher Sawyer, September 2016

The Detroit News

“I am excited about the Pinots from Albatross Ridge—their color, texture and flavors are reminiscent of Burgundy.”
-Sandra Silfven, January 2016

Santa Cruz Sentinel

“‘Pinot noir has that ethereal sense of earth and soil as it lifts out of the glass,’ says Garrett Bowlus. He’s the winemaker for Albatross Ridge Winery, a family-run vineyard on the slopes above Carmel Valley, specializing in chardonnay and pinot noir. He describes the flavor profile for the perfect pinot noir. Those flavors are generated by soil, climate and the attention and care provided by Bowlus, who also acts as grape grower of the 25-acre chardonnay and pinot noir vineyard, the source of Albatross Ridge fruit. Garrett and the Bowlus family believe they have found their destiny, making wine and farming land that Garrett’s great-grandfather once flew over while testing his Albatross sailplane.”
-Stacey Vreeken, August 2016

Capital Gazette

“Just seven miles from the Pacific Ocean and Carmel-by-the-Sea, this Monterey County producer takes advantage of a cool climate to extract maximum fruit and balance in his pinot noirs.”
-Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr, May 2016

Edible Monterey Bay

“The diatomaceous soils and cool maritime winds are ideal for growing truly Burgundian style Chardonnay, with its bright, angelic fruit, glowing with just the right amount of inner sunshine and high wire acidity. Pinot finds a natural home here as well, yielding boundlessly energetic aromatics that tend towards red, not black. Winemaker Garrett thankfully picks them both early, preserving their natural youthfulness without compromising any of their longevity.”
-Laura Ness, January 2016

D Magazine

“Though process can be taught, the true passion of wine must come from within as the farming trade is not as glamorous as one may think. To work a piece of land, and watch vineyards evolve from nothing into greatness is what drives the most acclaimed wine makers across the globe. This is what fueled Winemaker and Vintner Garrett Bowlus of Albatross Ridge Estate in Monterey. Though he experienced the finest technical training through institutions like the University of Dijon, UC Davis and UCLA this vintner learned the most from planting his family’s vineyard in cool Monterey just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean at 1250 feet above sea level, and watching it grow. The result, varietally correct, elegant, personality driven wines with grace and complexity.”
-Hayley Hamilton Cogill, March 2016

65 Magazine

“A festive and singular experience at Albatross Ridge Tasting Room nestled right in the middle of Carmel-by-the -Sea. Given my dedicated penchant for old world wines coupled with my inexperience with California wines, I can honestly say this was one of the most elegant new-world wine experiences to grace my taste-buds. The result: my newfound pleasure in discovering local wines and treasuring this corner of the wine world beyond my wildest dreams.”
-Ana Roman, June 2016

Grapelive

“One of the most exciting wines in Monterey, and especially in Carmel Valley, has to be the Albatross Ridge Pinot Noir(s) made by Garrett Bowlus. These beautifully crafted wines are the highlights of an extensive Carmel Valley tasting and were without a doubt the best Pinot Noir I’ve ever tried from the Valley. The Albatross Ridge estate sits high up, not far from Talbott’s Diamond-T, across the valley from Garland Park with southeast exposure and set on chalky, ancient seabed, soils, this is a steep site and very cool, perfect for Burgundy style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Bowlus is very much a winemaker that rejoices in low alcohol and delicacy of flavors, very much as you find in Cobb, Hirsch, Peay and Failla wines from the Sonoma Coast, which the Albatross Ridge resembles. Pinot Noir looks set to be the go-to grape for Carmel Valley, particularly in the cooler areas, my favorite wines are led by Albatross Ridge.”
-Kerry Winslow, September 2015

Carmel Magazine

“At an elevation of 1,250 feet and seven miles from the ocean in view to the west, Bowlus tends vineyards on this unique piece of land, producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay under the label Albatross Ridge. Wine fans and the press rave about Albatross.”
-Larry Harland, August 2017

The Colorado Springs Gazette

“As with the North Coast, most of the best sites are characterized by proximity to the Pacific Ocean and are impacted by the associated cooling breezes (and sometimes fog), leading to long growing seasons that encourage optimum ripeness with powerful, fresh acidity, yet notable elegance.

Being closer to the ocean and those strong, cold winds, there are fewer such prime sites in Monterey’s Carmel Valley. Albatross Ridge has found a really good one with coveted limestone soils only 7 miles from the ocean. The extreme conditions, including steep slopes, yield sophisticated expressions of pinot noir.”
-Rich Mauro, November 2016