Layer Cake Primitivo IGT `07 (Not TJ's) $15.00 ***

Daylight savings time was gone and I drove home from work in cold darkness.  I walked into the house and there was a smell.  A good smell. (which really needs to be stated, after all, the dog is in her late teens) After an initial guessing game of "name that scent" (I wasn't even close - I seem to be obsessed with fennel) JPH told me that I was smelling a pork butt that had been cooking in the oven all afternoon with celeriac, carrots and a head of garlic.  AND there was a bottle of Layer Cake Primitivo on the counter.  It was the perfect combination to warm yourself on a cold Fall evening -  Zinfandel to wash down roast pork with garlic and roasted new potatoes.  So what if it was freezing and pitch black outside, it was going to be a good night!

Jayson Woodbridge is one savvy Canadian wine purveyor.  He chooses his small line of wines wisely.  It is a case of name recognition.  I had tried his Australian  Layer Cake Shiraz a few months ago and I liked it.  So, it is not really a surprise that I liked his Italian Primitivo. Even though Primitivo is an identical twin to Zinfandel (same DNA) this bottle seemed fruitier and lighter than the Zinfandels that I usually drink (lower ETOH to start: 13.5%).  It had a great fresh cherry taste, a short tannin finish, and when I stuck my nose in my glass to get a sniff, it was a bit smokey. I also swear that after the swallow, there was an overripe strawberry finish.  Either my taste buds had gone mad, or this complex wine was simply pleasing on all levels and my brain was trying to identify why.

I ran it through the vinturi, it seemed dryer, the tannins were more pronounced.  I wouldn't bother decanting this wine. No fuss, just enjoy it as poured from the bottle.

This is a good wine that is complex and easy to drink.  It is fresh, fruity and would be great either as a glass of wine at the end of the day, or a bottle on the table for a good meal.

In an overwhelming feeling of guilt
for hinting that the little white dog 

could be less than perfect in her dotage, 

here she is
in all her octogenarian glory.