Sparkman Cellars 'Lumiere' Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, USA

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Revealing aromas of poached pear, gingerbread and honey, the 2016 Chardonnay Lumière is glossy, medium-bodied and bright, with chewy phenolic structure and a bright, lingering finish. Drink it over the next 3 or 4 years.

A rock solid white, the 2014 Chardonnay Lumiere was raised in 38% new French oak and comes all from the Stillwater Creek vineyard. It offers classy notes of apple, vanilla bean and brioche in a medium-bodied, impeccably balanced, clean and focused package. Drink it over the coming 2-3 years.

A good example of this is the 2012 Chardonnay Lumiere, which comes from the Stillwater Creek and French Creek Vineyards and spent eight months in 30% new French oak. Giving up ripe orchard fruit, pineapple and citrus rind like aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate, with medium-bodied richness and a classy, elegant texture to go with gorgeously integrated acidity and a clean, lengthy finish. It is rock-solid and will evolve gracefully for 3 to 4 years, if not longer. This was a superb lineup from this estate, which is run by the Sparkman family. The wines are classy all around and should evolve gracefully. Tel. (425) 398-1045; www.sparkmancellars.com

Also recommended, but no tasting note given. Chris Sparkman is among the numerous former sommeliers and wine buyers to end up as a Western U.S. vintner. His wife and fellow-vintner Kelly’s background in biology was not with plants, much less vines. They started their Woodinville winery in 2004 to achieve a life style conducive to raising their two daughters and were able to immediately benefit from personal contacts in the viticultural community to tap-into some of Washington’s foremost vineyards. The results I tasted were (in red) dominantly cooked-fruit without being seamlessly ripe, as well as unremittingly – at times downright ferociously, and almost surely superfluously – tannic, a characteristic that evidently wasn’t mitigated and might even have been exacerbated by the Sparkmans’ practice of early lees-stirring and relatively long elevage. Given how much at odds I am with glowing received opinion about this young winery’s accomplishments, I must in fairness call readers’ attention to that fact, as well as encourage them to consult next year’s report to see whether I determine that I was being too hard on these wines or that they (or the taster) were having a bad day (actually hour) this July. Tel. (425) 398-1045