Wonderful Weeknight Wines: Primitivo

At this point, I have opened--and enjoyed--four of the 5 bottles I purchased at Costco for my 'Wonderful Weeknight Wines' series. This makes me and my bank account quite happy.

Last night, to pair with homemade buffalo burgers and oven-cooked potatoes, I opened a bottle of 2008 Layer Cake Primitivo (aka Zinfandel). For $12.39, I will definitely buy this wine again.

I used to love Zinfandel, but I don't drink that much of it anymore. The alcohol content for California-produced Zins seems to get higher with every vintage. (I recently saw a Zin that claimed 17% alcohol by volume; this is practically port!!). For some, a high-alcohol wine might be just the ticket, but I find such wines pedestrian and unpleasant to drink.

Thankfully, European winemakers still embrace the idea of lower alcohol percentages...

At approximately 13.5% abv, the Layer Cake Primitivo, made from Italian grapes, is a great example of a wine that is lush without compromising complexity, and bold without being overbearing.

Upon my initial sip of this wine, I was surprised by bright aromas and very fruity flavors. Was that strawberry on the mid-palate and tangerine on the finish?

As I swirled my glass and allowed the wine to open up, I noticed a distinct shift towards darker fruit notes. Raisin became very pronounced on the nose as plum, black cherry, and cocoa developed on the palate. It was interesting to witness how quickly this wine evolved in the glass--in just a matter of minutes. Although I was delighted by the first taste, I enjoyed the wine more by the end of the glass. A second glass was necessary to double-check my tasting notes (wink, wink).

Click here to visit the Layer Cake website. Cheers!