…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.

Values/California Red

Well-balanced with a zesty display of ripe cherry, raspberry and wild berry. Intense and vibrant, it exhibits loads of berry flavors on the finish, giving it a good measure of complexity. Drink now through 2009.

A big, brawny, high-alcohol Zin, dry and fairly tannic, and balanced in cherry, tobacco, herb and cocoa flavors. There's nothing subtle about this exuberant wine, which will be a great success with red meat.

Distinctly and decidedly Gewürztraminer, with vivid pear, litchi and rose petal aromas and flavors that linger on the dry finish.

This is a sexy, natural yeast/barrel-fermented rind, butter fruit, medium to full body, and a pure, clean, peach-flavored finish. A delicious, food/consumer-friendly Chardonnay, it is also and excellent value.

Tightly focused, with a core of ripe pear, spice, fig and light oak, showing depth, richness and complexity on the finish, where a dash of pineapple folds in. (Also appeared in 7/31/98 issue.)

Smooth and elegant fig, pear, spice and honey notes.

Medium body and acid. Lots of fruit. Medium oak. Minerals, green apples, citrus. Nicely extracted fruit is bright, ripe and tangy in the mouth. Crisp citrus fruit dominates oak.