Got a bottle of the 2006 Layer Cake Primitivo a.k.a Zinfandel from my friend Thom and had the opportunity to open it on the patio the other night when some friends stopped by. The wine bills itself as 100% Pure Primitivo and is labeled like a cheap American wine. The juice is from Puglia, Italy but the packaging is anything but.OK, they make a point that these 100 year old vines from 2000 year old vineyards in Southern Italy are the real deal. Of course, EVERY vineyard in this region is as old as the dirt. And they make a point to mention that Primitivo and Zinfandel are actually the same grape. Which is also true but in Puglia it's Primitivo, Crijenak Kastelanski in Croatia and in the US it's Zinfandel.
What it looks like here is some enterprising Californian found some good tasting wine in Italy and are packaging it for the soccer mom,(including the layer cake on the label) under the guise that there are many layers of complexity in this wine.
The truth is this is a pleasant new world tasting Primiivo that reminds me if Hi-C fruit punch. Yes there is the obligatory blast of ripe fruit and a sugary taste, but there no layers of complexity there. And there is absolutely nothing Italian about this wine except the country of origin. This is an 84 point fruit bomb that's better that pop and 13.5% alcohol. And at 15.99 to 17.99 is a major pass. For a real Primitivo Try A-Mano.
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