Bench Mark Pinot Noir

The last couple of nights, my wife and I shared a bottle of Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir, Russian River. I have been enjoying Papapietro Pinots for several years now and the 05 is no exception. These are beasts, with loads of sophisticated red fruit and subtle notes of baking spices such as nutmeg and Cinnamon. These pinots beautifully bridge the gap between California and Burgundy. They have a pride of place as do the Burgundies and still have bright fruit flavors like their California brethren. These folks do six or seven Pinot Noirs and a couple of Zinfandels. All of their wines benefit from several years in the bottle for best showing and though I have not yet tried any with more than a couple of years of aging, I suspect that they will hold up for four to eight years at the low end. The Papapietros and the Perrys started out about ten years ago as hobby wine makers and then decided that they could make it as full time wine makers and in my opinion they are among the best in their price bracket ($45 - 50). They are somewhat allocated, but still generally available at least part of the year. Give it a try if you like good pinot and don't mind splurging occasionally.