One of Dry Creek Valley's oldest continually operating wineries, Lambert Bridge was established in 1975 and has spent five decades refining a Bordeaux-inspired program of estate-grown reds and whites. Patti and Ray Chambers acquired the property in 1993 and pared production back to small lots, building a reputation for handcrafted, age-worthy wines from sustainable farming. The redwood barrel room and gardens, set against towering redwoods on West Dry Creek Road, anchor what may be the valley's most genuinely elegant tasting experience.
Crane Creek Cuvée, Dry Creek Valley: the flagship proprietary Bordeaux blend, balanced and structured with French-oak aging at a moderate new-oak proportion to preserve fruit and definition.
Maple Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley: a single-vineyard old-vine Zin from one of the valley's most acclaimed sites, bold and spice-driven.
Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley: deeply pigmented and tannic, a robust Dry Creek classic.
Bevill Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley: a crisp, vineyard-designate white; a smaller-production counterpoint to the reds.
Chardonnay, Sonoma County: a balanced estate white made in small lots.
Garden Experience: an al fresco picnic in the garden with a Wine Country Charcuterie Basket ($95) or a Dry Creek General Store picnic lunch ($25 per person, 48 hours notice), estate wine by the bottle, by reservation.
Founded in 1975 by Jerry Lambert and owned by the Chambers family since 1993, Lambert Bridge is a Dry Creek Valley estate on West Dry Creek Road that deliberately scaled back production to focus on small-lot, artisanal Bordeaux-inspired wines.
The visit is unhurried and seated by design. Reservations are required seven days a week, for parties of one to twelve guests in either the soaring redwood barrel room or the garden patio, depending on weather; the private Cellar Collection Experience seats two to eight in the Cellar Room. Wines are paired with light bites, and the winemaker's selection experience opens up library bottles for those who want depth over breadth. A cheese and charcuterie board can be added to any tasting. Pizza-making workshops in the wood-fired Mugnaini oven, vertical tastings of Crane Creek Cuvée (the flagship red blend), and small private events round out the calendar. Dogs are welcome on leash. The winery sources from estate Dry Creek vineyards and high-elevation Rockpile sites for additional structure; the tasting room visit happens entirely in Dry Creek Valley.
