Today we share the outstanding wines of Sparkman Cellars. They make a huge range of outstanding wines wines — from crisp Rose to deep and layered Cabernet Sauvignon. Chris and Kelly Sparkman founded their namesake winery many yeas back in 2004. Chris has a diverse background formerly working in the Peace Corps and then as well as some top fine dining restaurants in Seattle. Sparkman sources from some of the best vineyards in the state including the Boushey, Klipsun, Sagemoor and Ciel du Cheval Vineyards.
I really enjoyed tasting with their winemaker, Linn Scott, who has been doing a beautiful job for them. We talked vintages and tasted through most of his lineup. I adored the 2023 Sparkman Cellars ‘Wonderland’ Grenache (OB, 94) which shows amazing texture and flavor range. Learn more about this outstanding producer at http://www.sparkmancellars.com/. Here are the great new wines by Sparkman Cellars.
2025 Sparkman ‘Pearl’ Sauvignon Blanc- Mainly coming from the Olsen Vineyard, the 2025 ‘Pearl’ shows gooseberry and green apple notes alongside white peach notes. The palate is juicy and rich with great melon character alongside light citrus water notes. Drink 2026-2033- 92
2025 Sparkman ‘As You Wish’ Sauvignon Blanc- Sourced from the Gamache Vineyard, this 2023 Sauvignon Blanc was aged in neutral oak as well as stainless steel drums. The palate is rich and viscous with loads of mouth-watering acidity. Key lime and salted wet rock combine with melon and citrus fruits on the palate. This has some really nice barrel notes and texture. Drink 2026-2033- 93
2019 Sparkman ‘As You Wish’ Sauvignon Blanc- A library wine, the 2019 Sparkman ‘As You Wish’ Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and viscous with terrific freshness. Citrus and melon fruits parade with loads of salty minerals on the plate. Drink 2026-2031- 93
2024 Sparkman ‘Lumiere’ Chardonnay- All from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard, the 2024 ’Lumiere’ was stored in roughly 40% new French oak before bottling. Poached pear and starfruit notes combine with brioche tones on the nose. The palate is both fresh and rich with terrific mouthfeel and sense of texture. Drink 2026-2033- 93
2025 Sigillo Viognier- Coming from the White Bluffs AVA. The 2025 Sigillo Viognier was stored in mainly neutral oak before bottling. White peach and star jasmine combine with white rose notes on the nose. The palate is dense and rich with terrific tension and a plush mouthfeel. Drink 2026-2032- 92
2025 Sigillo ‘C2’ Rose- The 2025 ‘C2’ or C-Squared is coming from Red Willow Vineyard and is all Sangiovese. This has terrific acidity and texture with damp earth notes alongside bright red fruits. Drink 2026-2032- 92
2023 Sparkman ‘Holler’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 Sparkman ‘Holler’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers juicy black fruits with coffee ground and dried herbs on the palate. Fresh and nicely-textured, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2026-2034- 92
2024 Sparkman ‘Kindred’ Malbec- Coming from Red Mountain and Gamache Vineyards, the 2024 ‘Kindred’ offers black plum and exotic spice notes on the nose. The palate is dense and delicious with great power and poise. Drink 2026-2034- 92
2023 Sparkman ‘Wonderland’ Grenache- The 2023 ‘Wonderland’ has some Syrah and Mourvedre blended in. Sourced from the Sagemoor, Olsen and Boushey Vineyards, this was aged in a small amount of new French oak before bottling. This comes off silky and refined with dried herbs that parade with milk chocolate and decadent red fruits on the palate. Delicious and juicy, enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2026-2036- 94
2023 Sparkman ‘Greater Than Some’ Red Wine- The 2023 ‘Greater Than Some’ come from the Olsen Vineyards and combines Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache. Fresh sage and scorched earth tones combine with wild blackberry on the nose. The palate is plush and soft with juicy acidity and a great core of black fruits. Drink 2026-2033- 93
2023 Sparkman ‘Yonder’ Cabernet Franc- The 2023 Sparkman ‘Yonder’ Cabernet Franc is soft and inviting on the palate. Juicy plum and red currants combine with milk chocolate and arabica bean notes on the palate. Drink 2026-2036- 93
2023 Sparkman ‘Outlaw’ Merlot- The outstanding 2023 Sparkman ‘Outlaw’ Merlot offers thyme, bay leaf and rich dark fruits on the nose. Soft and supple on the mouth, with refined tannins, this shows good opulence and underlying verve, with salty minerals. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2021 Sparkman ‘Darkness’ Syrah- The 2021 ‘Darkness’ comes from the Olsen and Boushey Vineyard and saw extensive whole cluster fermentation. This offers gorgeous aromatics of smoke and brisket tones alongside Kalamatta olive and shades of white pepper. The palate is rich and dense with fantastic finesse, showing espresso bean and chocolate notes. Enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2032- 94
2022 Sparkman ‘Untamed’ Syrah- The 2022 ‘Untamed’ comes from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard as well as the Discovery and Boushey Vineyards. The wine saw a small amount of Viognier co-fermented, as this offers beef drippings and black raspberry tones on the nose with scorched earth and black olives. The palate is fresh and smooth with lovely texture. This is a killer value at only 35 bucks. Drink 2025-2031- 93
2022 Sparkman ‘Wilderness’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Wilderness’ is mainly Syrah with Grenache and Mourvedre. On the nose this takes on a beautiful melange of red and dark fruits, with sagebrush and milk chocolate tones. The palate is soft and juicy with good flavor density and richness. Enjoy now and over the next five to seven years. Drink 2025-2032- 92
2022 Sparkman ‘Rukus’ Red Wine- A near equal blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022’ Ruckus’ has evolved to being more like a Provence-inspired blend. The palate is fresh and smooth with serious texture and tension, showing loads of mouth-watering acidity. Heady dark fruits combine with espresso grounds and shades of scorched earth. Drink 2025-2037- 93
2023 Sparkman ‘Black Dragon’ Red Wine- A blend of Malbec and Petit Verdot, with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 ‘Black Dragon’ is remarkably good stuff toe enjoy now. A core of black and blue fruits greets you on the palate, with graphite and dried herbs. Very weighty yet possessing a great acid backbone, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2026-2039- 94
2023 Sparkman ‘Preposterous’ Red Wine- The 2023 ‘Preposterous’ is primarily Malbec with some Syrah blended in. Purple rose petals combine with black currants and hints of sagebrush on the nose. The palate is round and generous with terrific texture and good length. Drink 2026-2036- 93
2022 Sparkman ‘Ruby Leigh’ Red Wine- The really good 2022 Sparkman ‘Ruby Leigh’ Red Wine is mainly Merlot (56%) with smaller parts Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Smooth on the mouth, this yields a pretty combination of red and dark fruits with sagebrush and chocolate pie notes. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2023 Sparkman ‘Ruby Leigh’ Red Wine- The 2023 ‘Ruby Leigh’ is primarily Merlot with smaller parts Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. This is soft and elegant on the mouth with great freshness. A great melange of dark and red fruits follows alongside espresso grounds and dried green herbal accents. Drink 2026-2038- 94
2022 Sparkman ‘Stella Mae’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Stella Mae’ is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and opens with bay leaf and black tea notes that combine with dark currants and a graphite edge on the nose. The palate is silky smooth on the approach with great texture and weight. Drink 2026-2036- 94
2023 Sparkman ‘Stella Mae’ Red Wine- Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), the 2023 ‘Stella Mae’ has terrific power and poise. Exotic spices combine wth blackberry compote, espresso grounds, tar and sagebrush notes on the palate. Dense and decadent, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2026-2038- 94
2023 Sparkman ‘Rainmaker’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Sparkman ‘Rainmaker’ was sourced from the Olsen Vineyard in the Yakima Valley and has 11% Malbec blended in. Dense dark fruits mingle well with dark chocolate shavings, pencil lead and scorched earth notes with thyme accents. This comes off rich and decadent with terrific texture, savory accents and underlying freshness. Drink 2026-2039- 94
2023 Sparkman ‘Kingpin’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 ‘Kingpin’ was sourced from Red Mountain and has a touch of Petit Verdot blended in. Crushed mint, creosote and chocolate pie notes all combine on the nose with hints of Cuban cigar. The palate is fresh and neatly-textured, with good weight and acidity. Drink 2026-2040- 94
2022 Sparkman ‘Evermore’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ’22 Evermore old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from mainly old vines from the Dionysus and Boushey Vineyards. Stored in all new French oak, this is seamless and rich. Heady dark fruits parade with chocolate, roasted espresso bean and shades of damp soils on the palate. Seriously good now, watch this evolve over the next ten plus years. Drink 2026-2041- 95
2023 Sparkman ‘Evermore’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2023 Sparkman ‘Evermore’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows beautiful thyme and bay leaf notes on the nose with dense fig and blackberry tones. The palate is rich and also very fresh with terrific tension and salty minimality. Muscular and nervy with refined tannins, enjoy over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2026-2043- 95
2023 Sparkman ‘Darkness’ Syrah- Coming from the Boushey and Olsen Vineyards, the 2023 ‘Darkness’ offers iron and bulls blood notes alongside shades of dark currant cordial. Drinking really well in its core of chocolate fudge and heady dark fruits, alongside light sanguine character, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2026-2036- 94