Lynmar Estate
3909 Frei Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-829-3374
Lynn Fritz purchased the original site of Lynmar’s estate and vineyard in 1980. Still actively engaged in a career in global logistics, he appreciated the beauty and serenity of the place and established it as his private retreat. The vineyard boasted some of the oldest vines in Russian River Valley, most under contract to neighboring vintners, a beautiful estate residence and a lot of opportunity for vision and growth.
Lynn and his wife, Anisya, have created a warm, welcome embrace in Lynmar. It is truly, a quintessential Sonoma County vineyard and winery.
Days and Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (by appointment only)
Cost: $30 - $90 per person, depending upon the tasting experience you choose.
Red or White: Both. Lynmar is a premium Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer in the Russian River Valley. They also offer a Rose of Pinot Noir and a Sonoma Coast appellation Syrah.
Pricing: $25 to $70
Food: Yes. Lynmar offers a daily “Provisions” menu consisting of more casual, hors d’ oeuvre selections (like specialty popcorn, cheese and charcuterie plates and toast with estate and locally sourced produce), and a three course, food and wine tasting luncheon experience ($85).
Good for Groups: Yes (depending on your definition of group). Lynmar boasts fairly expansive indoor and outdoor spaces. Some of their tasting experiences are limited to six or fewer. I recommend that you call if you wish to reserve a tasting for more than four people.
Proximity to other wineries: Excellent.
Family Friendly: Yes.*
*Lynmar is a refined environment, and all tastings are by appointment only. In my mind, that, coupled with the cost, equates to an adult experience. That being said, Lynmar will accommodate children and there are plenty of areas around the estate that could be interesting for kids - with parental supervision at all times - like the garden, the redwood grove and the chicken coop. I suggest, as a courtesy, you advise of an intent to bring a child/children to the winery, when you make your reservation.
Pet Friendly: Lynmar is happy to accommodate your dog, but they ask that they be supervised at all times, that they be well behaved, and are friendly toward people and other animals . I believe that leashes are definitely a good idea, in that they give you good control and show that you are respectful of other guests.
Tasting Experiences: Choose from a selection of offerings, from a standard tasting, to Lymnar’s Collector’s (reserve tasting), to a perfectly paired three-course luncheon with wine. Private experiences only. Reservations required.
Winery Events: The winery hosts four pick-up weekend events annually, for their wine club members. From May to September, Lynmar hosts Pinot & Pizza, one Sunday per month from 3 pm to 5 pm. Reservations are required, and the cost is $85 per person.
Wine Club: Yes. Lynmar offers two levels of their “Advocates” wine club. The first is the Explorer level, and a one case allocation. The second is the Enthusiast level, and a two case allocation. Both club levels offer exclusive access to Lynmar’s top tier wines including Pinnacle and Vineyard Designate wines. There are discounts on tasting and food and wine experiences, along with specialized pricing on the estate’s Bliss House. Wine club members received dedicated service from an estate concierge, and priority access to all winery amenities.
Other interesting features: Lynmar’s estate garden is a must for visitors and locals alike, especially in the spring and summer months. Their grounds are extraordinarily well kept and inviting. Lots to see and explore!
Lynmar Winery is one of those places that I consider a “go to” for recommendations to visitors. This place really has it all…beautiful gardens, inviting communal spaces, an elegant and functional design. The tasting room itself is open, yet intimate, with each side featuring an area of interest, from the gently curving tasting bar and its shiny, stainless steel countertop, to a side room space hosting a cozy fireplace, to a sleek, modern glass cellar, and finally a bank of wide glass doors that open up to the estate’s welcoming patio, creating a perfectly serene indoor/outdoor feeling. One walks out onto that patio and takes in the nearly panoramic view of Lynmar’s estate garden and vineyard, breathes deeply, and comes back to the heart of what Sonoma County wine country and lifestyle has to offer visitors and locals, alike. A sense of calm, commune with nature in an idyllic place where, even without trying, you accept that your time here will be of exceptional quality in all aspects.
There are a number of winery experiences you can embark upon at Lynmar. All of them require an appointment, so it’s best to plan ahead, particularly if you intend to visit on the weekend. There are two tiers of tastings available in the tasting room, The Estate Flight and the Collector’s Flight. Coming in at $30 and $90 per person, these tastings are hosted by one of Lynmar’s well-educated and personable tasting room professionals. Each flight consists of five or six wines, with the Estate Tasting focussing on Russian River and Sonoma Coast wines, and the Collector’s Tasting focussing on Lynmar’s premium production wines - their Pinnacle, Proprietor’s and Vineyard Designate tiers. These wines are crafted in much smaller quantities and are built to express either a specific clonal selection, or terrior, or both. The estate also boasts an outdoor terrace, reserved specially for their wine club members (Advocates Club), and overlooks the garden and vineyards.
As for estate tours, you can request one in conjunction with any of their tasting experiences. On the day I visited, Lynmar’s new tasting room manager, Johnathon, took on the task of showing me around the property. I have visited Lynmar many times before and have always found the gardens, grounds and vineyard to be thoughtfully designed and beautifully maintained. There is plenty of space for guests to relax and imbibe, yet they nurture Lynmar’s allure of a small, consciously cultivated boutique winery. A meandering path through the garden takes visitors to the entrance to the estate’s redwood grove, where where they host their summertime “Pinot & PIzza” food and wine events. From there, we continued our short jaunt up a slight incline to the barn where, among other things, Lynn Fritz houses his collection of self-made, aged balsamic vinegars. Adjacent to the barn is the winery’s chicken coop, home to many chickens and one magnificent rooster, Pinot de Gallo. We also walked up to the winery’s on-property guest house, the Bliss House, named for the former owners of the (the 18 acres) estate, Don and Diana Bliss. It is a beautifully designed and appointed space. I can imagine spending a long weekend with friends, lounging on the home’s back porch overlooking the vineyards, sipping rosé and taking in an unparalleled view.
Lynmar provides extraordinary wine and food experiences. They host The Lynmar Experience, a three course, food and wine pairing luncheon that features produce grown in the estate’s garden, and from other, local sources. There is also Lymar’s “Pinot & Pizza” events, occurring once a month from May to September, and hosted in the estate’s redwood grove. Both of these food and wine experiences require a reservation. Alternatively, you can order food from Lynmar’s Provisions menu, as I did during my visit. This menu changes seasonally. I chose to sample the Warm Organic Popcorn (in this instance seasoned with ginger, persimmon and chardonnay dust - estate Chef David Frakes takes the end of season persimmons, dehydrates them and pulverizes them to a fine powder), The Garden Toast - topped with mushroom conserva, seasonal garden vegetables (in this case colorful carrots), preserved lemon, thyme, pea sprouts and herb oil, the Snack Plate - including toasted and seasoned nuts, spinach lavash and a stunningly colorful and flavorful African dipping sauce topped with Eritrean spice oil, and finally the Artisan Cured Charcuterie & Cheese Platter - an expertly composed cured meat and cheese board featuring salami, coppa and embuchado (cured pork loin), alongside cheese from Cowgirl Creamery (Mt. Tam), Redwood Hill Farm (goat cheddar), and Belweather Farms (St. Andreas), and paired with a selection of crackers, house-pickled vegetables, rhubarb chutney, and olives.
As mentioned previously, these wine pairing meals, and the Provisions menu, are crafted and executed by the estate’s chef, David Frakes. Coincidentally, Chef Frakes and I have been acquaintances for many years, and I cannot speak more highly of him, his skill and his commitment to good, locally sourced and sustainably farmed food, good wine, and the practiced, insightful intuition he uses to combine the two. He creates epicurean experiences that leads consumers of his mastery to new and captivating gastronomic awareness. If you are planning a day in Russian River, and are including a visit to Lynmar, plan to eat there. Whether it be a mid-morning/mid-afternoon snack off the Provisions menu, or an indulgently sumptuous luncheon paired with the winery’s ambrosial wines, you are sure to be impressed.
For more information about Lynmar, it’s current offerings and to schedule appointments, visit their website: https://lynmarestate.com
Suggestions:
- Spend an afternoon relaxing on Lynmar’s easy, breezy patio, overlooking views of the vineyard and enjoying well crafted wines alongside a scrumptious three-course luncheon with wine pairing. Honestly, there’s no better way to truly experience the Russian River wine country lifestyle.
- Gather together a group of friends and rent the estate’s Bliss house for a celebratory weekend in wine country. Lynmar’s proximity to Russian River and Green Valley appellation wineries is unmatched. It’s very near to many award winning restaurants, as well as a number of produce stands and farmer’s markets. The accommodations are beautifully appointed, and you really can’t beat the view.
Wines Tasted:
I tasted the following wines during my visit to Lynmar Estate Winery (bold indicates purchased):
2015 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($35): This appellation blend of fruit from two of Lynmar’s estate vineyards shows all the best of what Russian River Chardonnay has to offer. It’s Gravenstein apple on the nose (apropos considering that the area was once planted nearly exclusively to Gravenstein apples), and tangy, creamy lemon curd and sweet spice on the palette.
2015 La Sereinite (Russian River Valley) Chardonnay ($70): This is Lynmar’s version of it’s own estate Cru wine. They select certain lots of Chardonnay from a variety of vineyards, that they feel best express the Russian River Valley in a given vintage, and they blend them with the idea that the result is the purest example of Russian River Valley Chardonnay produced that year. In keeping with that purpose, the wine is fermented in neutral oak, therefore retaining all that is naturally its own; beautifully clean lines of acidity enveloped by the softness and salinity of Russian River Valley’s cool, fog-laden mornings - red apple, citrus zest, pear and sweet spice.
2014 Susanna’s Vineyard (Russian River Valley) Chardonnay ($60): Definitely source from a more coastal-positioned vineyard, this wine is beautifully aromatic - floral with hints of jasmine and citrus blossom swirl together with underlying notes of apple, pear and meyer lemon.
2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) ($25): What a splendid example of Russian River Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir. This wine is a perfect spring/summer sipper. It brings a smile to ones face with just a swirl and sniff. Fresh, ripe strawberries, the sweetest summer watermelon, raspberry coulis and a sharp, clean finish that, I dare say, reminds me of pink peppercorns and fresh tarragon.
2016 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($45): Yet another appellation blend, this one sources fruit from Lynmar’s Quail Hill Vineyard, Susanna’s Vineyard and Adam’s Vineyard. This wine is aged for 11 months in French oak, about 30% of which is new oak. The result is a wonderful example of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir - its tart red raspberry and cherry fruit, its voluptuously round mouthfeel and a uniquely warm, floral, and herbaceous finish. Think cherries jubilee, spiced with star anise and dried lavender, served with dark chocolate chip ice cream.
