It's not often that I recommend a wine that naturally reaches an alcohol level of 15.4% but I love this one, made from California's signature grape variety (albeit with roots far, far away) and vines that are well over 50 years old according to the back label. Mendocino was first planted with vines by Italian immigrants who simply wanted wine to drink and had no truck with fancy irrigation systems. This wine, the most basic from the Edmeades stable, is presumably a blend from the many different old vineyards from which the company produces vineyard-designated Zinfandels. Contained, dry nose. Nothing about this wine flaunts its alcohol. Well structured and very Zinfandel. Not exactly an iron hand in a velvet glove; more velvety richness inside an iron corset - and none the worse for it. Serious wine and quite a bargain for a Californian. Impressive! GV (for good value)

Juicy and jammy, with aromas and flavors of black cherry, pepper, toast and caramel. Approachable.

A smoky, earthy zin with notes of blackberry, blueberry, caramel and pepper. Ripe fruit flavors. Long finish. Elegant. Paired with Roast Duck Legs with Honey Teriyaki Sauce.

RED WINE with a huge steak, pour a full-bodied, big-flavored wine like an all-American Zinfandel. Try the berry tinged 2007 Edmeades Mendocino from California.

Nice raspberry-scented wine with berry fruit flavors and a bit of creaminess in the finish. Nor for the faint of heart.

Terrifically juicy, with energetic plum and licorice flavors and sweet vanilla oak.

Ripe and zesty, with wild berry, toasty sage and cracked pepper flavors that finish with appealingly rustic tannins.

Jess Jackson owns this California Zin specialist. Its 45-year-old vineyards yield the grapes for this polished wine with a deep raspberry essence.

Tastes like blackberry cobbler, rich, dense and delicious. Smoky and briary with notes of herbs, vanilla and spice. Good length.

If never less than aggressively ripe in character and always on the verge of being a little too hot, this mouthfilling Zin is charged with plenty of well-defined fruit and is surprisingly well-balanced for the very big wine that it is. It is firmed by lots of fruity acidity and stays bright and lively even as its alcohol flares just a bit at the finish. It will need pairing with appropriately rich foods, and its overall structure suggests that it will improve for several years.

From a steeped, sloped vineyard with 60-degrees inclines, this is a classic zin for those who love the classic brambly raspberry style. Exciting to drink, especially with summertime barbecue.

2005 EDMEADES ZINFANDEL, MENDOCINO COUNTY Zinfandel makes several different styles of red wine in California, roughly reflecting the county of origin. One of the most distinctive-and best-is that of Mendocino. This version from the reliable Edmeades winery is an excellent expression of the style-with high-toned, spicy, wild berry flavors, a pleasing acidity and well-concealed alcohol, even at 15.5 percent. It's an excellent value in a red wine ready for early consumption. Serve with pasta or grilled red meat.

Deep, rich and concentrated wine with layered flavors of ripe red fruit, zesty spices and tangy bone-dry finish. In essence, it tastes like a big bowl of cherries with plenty of weight and structure on the palate.

Aromas and flavors of ripe red plum, black pepper and spicy oak. Medium bodied.

Pushing ripeness to the very edge of late harvest character and picking up toasty, slightly earthy and resinous notes as it goes.

so appealing, with silky smooth, fruit-dominated flavors, that I planned to include it as a wine recommendation.

Complex and juicy. Rich, red fruit flavors of raspberry, strawberry and plum. Bright and tart. Long finish.

A great Thanksgiving pick. Complex and juicy. Rich, red fruit flavors of raspberry, strawberry and plum. Bright and tart. Long finish.

A zin lover's zin. A fruit bomb, with juicy boysenberry and cherry concentrated flavors. Notes of licorice and spice.

Zingy, spicy raspberry and coffee flavors, very crisp, very fruity, medium body.

Zinfandel from California's Mendocino County has a character all its own - a high-tones fruit flavor and racy acidity that distinguishes it from the more cabernetlike Napa Zins and blockbusters from Sonoma. This brilliant wine from Edmeades captures that Mendocino character beautifully. It's an exceptionally intense red wine with penetrating black-raspberry flavor and a nice touch of chocolate.

When Zin gets this ripe, all you can do is make a strong, heady, sweet wine. Here, 16.9% alcohol and 2.8% residual sugar make for a powerful, warming brew, distinctive in its own right, and one that has many fans.

Most folks would consider Alden a dessert wine. Its sweet spicy aromas and flavors are rather portlike, but Mr. Williamson (winemaker, Van Williamson) likes to serve it on the rocks or mixed half-and-half with sparkling wine and served as an aperitif.

Ciapusci is 100 percent zinfandel made from a vineyard planted in 1878. It's an elegant wine with roses, black pepper, tobacco and ripe raspberries on the nose, with clean, spicy fruity flavors.