Paul Dolan Zinfandel 2007

The Paul Dolan 2007 Zinfandel is a medium-bodied wine that is a blend of zinfandel grapes from Mendocino County (79%) and Amador County (21%).  Mr. Dolan is probably as well known for his organic and bio-dynamic farming as he is for his award winning wines. This Zinfandel is Certified Organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). It is not the full bodied, full flavored Zin that you typically find in CA.  I would guess that these grapes came from younger vines.  In fact, it was more of a French Beaujolais to us than a zinfandel.  This light garnet colored wine started off with a sweet juicy raspberry aroma followed by some leather and pepper.  However, on the palate, there were more black fruits and cherry flavors along with some plum and chocolate.  Although it has a 14.5% alcohol volume, it was well integrated.  The tannins were mild but there was a slight oaky aftertaste.  It was not overly dry either.  As it reminded us of a Beaujolais, we put it in the refrigerator and chilled it and it became a much nicer wine.  This is not a wine to decant.  I would hold this for another 2-3 years if possible.  Wine Enthusiast rated this 91 points.  I think this is a bit high but still a nice overall wine.   The Paul Dolan 2007 Zinfandel could pair nicely with many foods.  For a change, give it a shot with turkey, duck or even ham.  It retails for $22-$25 but can be found at "Buy Wine Online" for $19 on the side bar of this blog.