Tasting Notes

With wispy, smoky notes, this tasty red pairs red berry aromas with tons of oak. Merlot can be made in a weak style, but Lambert Bridge’s version satisfies full-bodied wine fans. It’s thick in the mouth, with vanilla, dark roast coffee, and a sprinkle of pepper layering with ripe red plum and persimmon. Drink now through 2009.

Winery Story

Lambert Bridge Winery is located in the center of Dry Creek Valley, near an old trestle bridge, its namesake. This historic wine growing valley is 75 miles north of San Francisco and 10 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The winery occupies land that once was part of the C. L. Lambert Ranch, a sizeable property that included a school, store, farmland and a bridge built by Lambert in 1920. Today this bridge, the only single lane, public bridge in the Valley, is surrounded by vineyards and still provides passage across Dry Creek.

In 1969, Gerard Lambert (no relation to C.L. Lambert) purchased the property that is now Lambert Bridge Winery and planted a vineyard along West Dry Creek Road. He built the winery in 1976, then sized to produce 5,000 cases of wine. Lambert Bridge Winery quickly developed a strong following and a reputation for rich, complex wines. In 1983, the building was expanded to produce its current annual production of 20,000 cases.

Nearly 25 years later, on a visit to northern Sonoma County, the Chambers family was captivated by the beauty of the area, and purchased the winery in 1993. The family continues to manage the winery, with a passion for creating small lots of artisanal Bordeaux-style blends and varietals, including this month’s Merlot.