Newsday Rating of 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz

Many thanks to Peter Gianotti of Newsday for this mention of the 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz in the August 5, Newsday online edition

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

The grill is in overdrive, and the red meat is turning pink. It’s not exactly time for that refrigerator-cold pinot grigio.

Try the 2006 Cardinal Zin Beastly Old Vines Zinfandel ($20), a husky red heady with blackberry and plum. The 2006 Newton Claret ($23), a Bordeaux-inspired blend, delivers black fruit, spice and a hint of smokiness that suits grillings.

The 2006 Concannon Central Coast Petite Sirah ($15) with berry and vanilla notes will stand up to marinades. A 2006St. Clement Napa Valley Merlot ($28), defined by cherry and berry, makes you want to buy filet mignon. And 2006 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($28), loaded with blackberry and currant, calls for a rare T-bone.

From Italy, the 2006 Mazzoni Toscana Rosso ($20), a lush blend of merlot and sangiovese, is made to go with dinner, grilled and otherwise. The smooth and generous 2007 Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Carmenère ($28), a single-vineyard beauty from the Colchagua Valley of Chile, can complement everything from hamburgers to porterhouse steak.

South Australia brings you the 2008 Layer Cake Shiraz ($15), concentrated and ripe with black fruit and a hint of pepper. The Douro Valley of Portugal yields the 2006 Dow Val do Bomfim ($12), a meaty, dry red that complements sausages as well as steak. Spain’s Ribera del Duero offers the soulful 2005 Legaris Crianza ($27), made with tinto fino and ideal with beef.

Blogroll: Wine Sense Two Cents

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

“Money is no object, I just want to make the best damn wine possible”-winemaker Jayson Woodbridge

Layer Cake is an ode to winemaker, Jayson Woodbridge’s grandfather who always told him that the “soil where wine is grown is like a Layer Cake, layered with mocha, chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich.’ More importantly, the wine, if properly made, was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich. “Never pass up a good layer cake” he would say.

Jayson Woodbridge grew up in Canada. “I spent half of my life in southern Ontario,” “I was an investment banker in Toronto. We basically financed Canada’s top oil companies.” Jayson decided he was destined to make wine, but before he could take that step he knew he had to “save a bunch of money.” He went about amassing a nest egg, and in 1999, he retired. At age 35 Jayson Woodbridge moved his family to the Napa Valley and became a farmer. He called his winery, Hundred Acre and it was a success right from the start. Robert Parker scored his 3rd vintage Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon 98 points.

Winemaker Jayson Woodbridge and his team focus on making wines from unique locations that have a sense of history and family, and the Layer Cake Wines symbolize time, terroir and something that can only be hand made. As a result, every Layer Cake wine is a true and distinct reflection of the farmers, the land and Jayson Woodbridge’s own style of winemaking.

“This high-level success was satisfying,” says Jayson Woodbridge, “but I wanted to show people what we could make for $15 and have it taste like it’s $60 or $70.” So Layer Cake came into being, a line of wines made in various regions of the world and selling for around $15 to $28 a bottle.

Kristin’s three reasons to buy this wine:

1. Jayson Woodbridge somehow managed to source some of the grapes for Layer Cake from the same vineyards that Penfolds Grange gets their grapes from…”The Grange” sells for $200+ a bottle…Layer Cake under $20…Hello!

2. Jayson Woodbridge is so determined to produce the best wines that he passed on making 2007 Layer Cake…who does that? He could have sold the wine by the label alone, but he passed!

3. Wine Geeks like me will be impressed by the fact that Winemakers Philippe Melka & Helen Mawson joined Jayson’s Layer Cake project. “The idea of making wines in distant lands with a true understanding of the terroir of the place and how the wines should be made, and then delivering such great wines at these price points is rare, and I’m thrilled to join Jayson in his efforts. His vision for Layer Cake is something I have believed in for a long time,” he continued.-Philippe Melka.

Layer Cake Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley, Australia
Grape: 100% Shiraz
Lifespan: Drink now

Layer Cake Shiraz: Who can resist cake? This Shiraz is equally irresistible..Dark, dense and creamy, complex aromas of black plum, bing cherry, blackberry, coffee and pepper merge with licorice, tobacco, mocha and dark chocolate..

Cheese Pairings: Aged Gouda, Aged Cheddar, Roaring Forties Blue
Food Pairings: Pulled Pork, Blackened Fish, Steak

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