2014 Edmeades Winery Zinfandel Perli Vineyard Mendocino Ridge California 750 ml

The 2014 Edmeades Zinfandel Perli Vineyard Mendocino Ridge is a QPR knockout. A cool-climate Zin grown above the fog line in Mendocino, it delivers the brilliance and boldness of New World fruit without sacrificing an ounce of freshness, structure, or complexity all at a price that makes opening a bottle feel like winning.

Fresh wild strawberry and pomegranate vibrancy make this extremely drinkable—especially next to a chargrilled burger or a braised leg of lamb—while fine-grained mountain tannins give the Edmeades its longevity. After six years in bottle, notes of brambly spice, clove, and anise are now seamlessly threaded through the lively fruit. Our allocation, recently raised from the cellar, is all that remains from the vintage, and the 2014 Perli Vineyards Zin is poised to deliver serious value. 

Cool-climate Zin is a favorite of ours at Wine Access and Edmeades is one of its greatest purveyors. Founded in 1963, Edmeades blazed a trail in the Anderson Valley when few thought it was possible. Most considered the area now known as Mendocino Ridge to be too rugged and too cold, especially for a heat-loving grape like Zinfandel, but Dr. Donald Edmeades had other ideas. His original plantings delivered a balance and structure rarely achievable in hotter climes. The Seghesios and Parduccis of the world soon came calling and Edmeades was thrilled to provide them with prime Zinfandel grapes for over a decade. 

When the first wines labeled by Edmeades hit the market in 1972, the word was truly put on notice. Not long after, the stunning lineup of single-vineyard, cool-climate Zinfandels attracted the attention of Jess Jackson of Jackson Family wines (Lokoya, Verité, Copain). In 1988 Jackson officially purchased Edmeades, and it has been a staple of their portfolio ever since. 

Today’s 2014 Perli Vineyard Zinfandel is one of the gems of the Edmeades lineup, sourced from an otherworldly site perched 1,800-2,200 feet up in Mendocino Ridge. Perli Vineyard, first planted in the late 1800s, sits above the fog line, a mere seven miles from the Pacific, where it receives abundant sunshine and is cooled by chilly coastal breezes. Steep slopes and poor soils stress the unirrigated grapes, ensuring deep flavor development. Zinfandel takes its time ripening here, and the result is well worth the wait. 

If you’re used to the high-octane fruit bombs that are so common amongst Zinfandels, this will stun you with its elegance and complexity. As for the price, it’s almost too good to be true.