A few quick thoughts on the 2013 Warr-King Cabernet Sauvignon from the Wahluke Slope.

The Geekery

Warr-King Wines was founded in 2013 by Lisa Warr-King Packer who followed a marketing career in the tech industry with enology studies at Lake Washington Technical College and Washington State University. Prior to starting her own winery, she did internships and worked harvest at Patterson Cellars and Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Packer’s maiden name is the winery’s namesake origin with the red poppies that adorn her labels paying homage to her British relatives who fought in World War I and II. Located in the warehouse district of Woodinville, Warr-King makes around 850 cases across all their wines.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 30 months in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels. I couldn’t find the exact vineyards used but considering how many other wines Warr-King sources from Rosebud Vineyard, that seems like the likely source.

The Wine

Medium intensity nose. A mix of tobacco spice and dark fruits–black currants and black plums.

You’re going to want a nice steak to pair with this wine.

Those dark fruits carry through to the palate for a huge mouthfeel with high tannins and medium-plus acidity. The tannins are quite firm and stick to the gums. With the tobacco notes, those hard tannins definitely adds to a sense of dryness that dominates this wine. The acidity helps somewhat to balance but I don’t think there is ultimately enough fruit to make it mouthwatering and lively. The finish is long and quite dry.

The Verdict

It’s tempting to say that this wine needs more time for the tannins to mellow but I strongly suspect that this is probably the best this wine is going to get. The wine simply doesn’t have enough fruit (or flesh) to fill out the bones of it big structure.

At $30-35, the best bet for the 2013 Warr-King Cabernet Sauvignon is to be paired with a nice juicy steak that will let the proteins mellow the tannins while the juices give lift to the flavors.