2020 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley California

The 2020 Papapietro Perry Russian River Valley Pinot Noir comes from a producer whose story began not in a commercial cellar, but in a San Francisco garage. Founders Ben Papapietro and Bruce Perry began making Pinot Noir together as a hobby in the 1980s, inspired by their shared passion for Burgundy and California Pinot Noir. Their early wines gained attention from the wine press, eventually leading to the first commercial release in 1998. Today, Papapietro Perry remains focused on small-lot Pinot Noir, working with growers in some of Sonoma County’s most established cool-climate sites. 

The Russian River Valley bottling is an AVA-level expression assembled from multiple vineyard sources and Pinot Noir clones, including 114, 115 and 777. The Russian River Valley’s famous fog, drawn in from the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, helps create the long, cool growing conditions that Pinot Noir thrives in. Papapietro Perry follows a deliberately minimalist approach, cold-soaking the fruit before fermentation and aging its Pinot Noirs in François Frères barrels for approximately 11–12 months. The 2020 vintage shows purple floral aromas, perfectly ripe raspberry, savory green notes and cola, with the fruit balanced by the earthy, spicy character associated with Russian River Pinot Noir. The wine received 100 points, Best of Class and a Platinum Award at the 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition, as well as 92 points from Wine Spectator.