'Here's a pretty youthful zin, its aroma already devveloping subtle and intriguing aspects while the fruit in the mouth holds to a simple, firm berry character. It's gentle and generous, an easy-going red…

…exhibits a dark ruby color with amber at the edge. This nose is reminiscent of and Asian restaurant, with scents of soy, smoked duck, plums, and assorted black fruits. Ripe and deep, with a slight hotness, this heady wine requires consumption over the next 5-6 years.

It is a fat, big, rich delicious effort bursting with peppery, spicy, cherry fruit with a touch of blackberries. Interestingly, the blend was 78% Zinfandel, 8%Sangiovese, 3% Syrah, and 11% Petite Sirah.

All the Zinfandel varietal characteristics - black cherry, pepper, briery fruit - are present in moderately high levels.

Zin does not get much riper or bolder than this late-harvest style version. Bursting with fruit, it's not for the faint-hearted. Winemaker Van Williamson says it's dry, but it sure tastes as if it has a healthy dose of residual sugar.

Peppery, with earth, tar, raspberry and wild berry. A distinctive style, with firm, drying tannins.

Lots of supple cherry and wild berry flavors are plush with spice, anise and cedar notes and mild tannins.

…offers a spicy, peppery, fruity nose, lush, medium-bodied flavors, and good fat and depth. …it is an excellent Zinfandel…

Edmeades is known for its delicious, fruity Zinfandels from Mendocino.

Firmly tannic, with gamy leathery edge, it slowly reveals complex cherry and berry flavors, showing more complexity on the finish, where the flavors fold together nicely.

Smooth, elegant, supple texture and attractive cherry, berry spice and vanilla flavors. Finishes with firm but mild tannins. Drinkable now.

Chewy core of earthy raspberry and spice. Picks up oak and peppery notes on the finish.

This dark red colored Zinfandel from Edmeades opens with a black cherry bouquet with a hint of cola. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied and slightly acidic. The flavor profile is a mineral infused black plum with notes of Oolong tea. We also detected hints of raspberry, milk chocolate and oak as well. The finish is dry and subtle. The Panel suggested pairing this Zin with a pulled pork sandwich. 88 points. Very good.

Saline-scented, this dense Mendocino Zinfandel is from nearly 30-year-old vines, sourced from across the AVA. Old vineyards are the heart and soul of Edmeades, with Ciapusci Vineyard planted in 1878, Perli Vineyard planted in the late 1800's, Zeni Vineyard planted in 1910 and Piffero Vineyard planted in 1930. Wild yeast fermented, this was bottled, unfined and unfiltered. Dense smoked plum, cassis jam, ripe blackberries, violets, cracked peppercorn and a dusky, musk perfume. There is a swell of acidity here to carry, but the finish, at 15%, is still warming and cinnamon clad. 88 points.

Top Ten: California Saline-scented, this dense Mendocino zinfandel is from nearly thirty-year-old vines, sourced from across the AVA. Old vineyards are the base of Edmeades, with Ciapusci Vineyard planted in 1878, Perli Vineyard planted in the late 1800’s, Zeni Vineyard planted in 1910 and Piffero Vineyard planted in 1930. Wild yeast fermented, this was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Dense smoked plum, cassis jam, ripe blackberries, violets, cracked peppercorn and a dusky, musk perfume. There is a swell of acidity here to carry, but the finish, at 15 percent, is still warming and cinnamon clad. 88 points.

With a light red color, tantalizing oak and raspberry aromas, bright cherry flavors and a firm texture, this wine discloses a lighter, leaner style than many. It could match with salmon as well as meat, pasta and poultry.

Bold and ripe, this tastes almost sweet due to the aroma and flavor of cherries and vanilla. It is full-bodied, fat in texture and carries heat on the finish. It matured in 40% new oak barrels.

Offers deep plum and peppered herb aromas, with ripe, jammy black cherry, sage and mineral flavors.

Wild berry, bitter chocolate and anise aromas lead to plum, smoke and cracked pepper notes in this ripe, focused Zin.

Ripe, focused and zesty, with wild berry, bitter chocolate and anise aromas that follow through to appealing flavors of plum, smoke and freshly cracked pepper.

Jammy and loaded with fruit, offering blackberry and spiced wood aromas complemented by ripe, dense flavors of plum, toffee and herb.

This wine's deep and defined aromas key on berries, briar, tobacco and tea, and its generous flavors are rich and fruity rather than overly ripe-tasting despite a fair bit of underlying heat. While no shrinking violet, the wine is quite well-balanced given its ripeness and shows promise for a least a few years of improvement.

A bit untamed, but loaded with personality, showing cooked black cherry and smoky sage aromas, as well as superripe plum, licorice and cracked pepper flavors. Drink now through 2014.

Jammy and appealingly briary, featuring boysenberry and woody herb aromas and ripe black cherry, dried jalapeno and pepper flavors. Drink now through 2016.