Little touches added by Toby and his partner Natacha really add depth to the experience here. Next door to the tasting room is a ‘sensory room’, where you’ll find glass enclosures with key tasting elements underneath them. Lift the enclosures and breath deeply to intensely experience many of the aromas you’ll discover later in the wines. This is a wonderful journey through what really makes tasting tick, and a rarity to find at a small-scale winery like this.

The property is about as scenic as it gets. From the restored apple barn to other, smaller, structures dotting the property, to the aging orchards, to sweeping vineyards, to ponds and lakes dotting the hillside, to massive sprawling willow trees – this is the quintessentially bucolic Mendocino experience. Picnic tables are on site, so you may want to pack lunch and enjoy it with a bottle of world-class wine.

Phillips Hill focuses on pinot noir from a selection of local vineyards that varies from year to year, but always includes some of the most incredible fruit in the Anderson Valley. In addition to pinot noir, Phillips Hill produces a tempranillo, chardonnay, and gewürztraminer.