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Sparkman Wines

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Sparkman 2007 Darkness Syrah (Yakima Valley)

Price $50

Sourced from Dick Boushey’s Birdhouse vineyard, this ink-black wine is threaded throughout with the good funk—seaweed, iodine, and salt flavors that a Japanese friend calls umami. Along with that come black fruits, hazelnuts and light barrel toast. — P.G. (5/1/2010)

Sparkman 2006 Darkness Boushey Vineyard Syrah (Yakima Valley)

Editors' Choice

Price $50

A new wine for Sparkman, the Darkness delivers gobs of black fruits, tobacco, smoke, graphite and smoked meat flavors. Right now the fruit is amped up and the young, juicy flavors of raspberry, boysenberry and Bing cherry fill the mouth; but right behind are leaf, tobacco, Asian spice and sweet wood. An exceptional effort. — P.G. (3/1/2009)

Sparkman 2009 Lumière Chardonnay (Columbia Valley (WA))

Online Exclusive

Price $25

Creamy and crisp—a nice trick—this refreshing Chardonnay livens up the palate with a mix of herb, celery, apple and Asian pear, rolling into a finish of caramel apple and toast. It has a light touch despite the 14.5% alcohol, and sits nicely in the back of the throat, inviting another glass. — P.G. (5/1/2011)

Sparkman 2008 Ruckus Syrah (Red Mountain)

Price $32

A good amalgam of Red Mountain flavors—hard, tight tannins; dark, smoky black fruits; an underlayer of graphite and mineral. The wine is hard and compact, unyielding, but well-balanced and complete. In the nose are suggestions of moist earth, compost, soy, seaweed; the message is, stay tuned. — P.G. (5/1/2011)

Sparkman 2007 Kingpin Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain)

Cellar Selection

Price $56

The most massive, dense and ageworthy of all the Sparkman reds, this Kingpin Cabernet is a barrel selection of the darkest, deepest wines in the cellar. Almost pure cassis fruit is matched to a firm, steely spine. Tannins are strong but not heavy, and the aging in two thirds new wood has not turned the wine terribly oaky. Hints of rock, tobacco and earth promise… — P.G. (5/1/2010)

Sparkman 2008 Lumière Chardonnay (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $25

Native yeast, weekly batinage (lees stirring) in 50% new barrels, and, most importantly, a superb vineyard—Stillwater Creek—make for the best Chardonnay yet from Sparkman. Yeasty and young, dense and loaded with fresh pear, toasted nuts and butter, this is seductive and immensely enjoyable. — P.G. (5/1/2010)

Sparkman 2007 Stella Mae Red (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $42

The mirror image companion to the Ruby Leigh, Sparkman’s Stella Mae is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 21% Merlot and 17% Petit Verdot filling out the blend. Chocolaty, bourbon barrel scents and flavors dominate, though with more bottle age they may fall back into better proportion with the snappy cherry/berry fruit. By any measure this is an ageworthy wine, with… — P.G. (5/1/2010)

Sparkman 2006 Lumière Chardonnay (Columbia Valley (WA))

Price $40

This is just the second vintage of the Lumière Chardonnay from this rising star winery, and it is already causing a buzz. Washington produces very few high end white wines that would be natural companions to its reds on a restaurant wine list. This tight, precise, concentrated and focused Chardonnay fills that need. Though loaded with tropical and stone fruit… — P.G. (5/1/2008)

Prominent Designations [All]

Darkness Darkness Boushey Vineyard Kindred Kingpin Lumière Outlaw Preposterous Ruby Leigh Ruby Leigh Red Ruby Leigh Red Wine Ruckus Stella Mae Stella Mae Red Wilderness Red Wilderness Red Blend

Most Reviewed Varietals [All]

Bordeaux-style Red Blend Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay Malbec Merlot Red Blend Shiraz/Syrah

Most Reviewed Regions

Columbia Valley (WA) Red Mountain Yakima Valley

2009 Rodney Strong Reserve

A lovely restaurant-style Pinot Noir, showing lots of class and elegance…

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