THE CALLING, SINGLE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR & CHARDONNAY
 

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA


 

You know Jim Nantz from his matchless voice and signature sign-in (“Hello, friends …”) at countless Super Bowls, Masters, and Final Fours. But what you probably don't know is that Nantz is also part-owner of a Sonoma winery called, fittingly, The Calling
 

Many a celeb has gone into fashion or retail for the kicks, but for Nantz this is no lark of a side hustle.
 

He's an active owner, and, along with partner Peter Deutsch, is determined to turn this patch of the Russian River Valley into a world-class destination. They're already a national-class one, having earned no fewer than sixty 90+ ratings since releasing their first vintage, in 2012. 
 

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the name of the, ahem, game, and we're happy to tell you we have secured allocations of two standouts from their portfolio: their Pinot Noir Sunny View 2017 and their Chardonnay Searby Vineyard 2019.
 

Nantz and Deutsch have made many (oof, forgive us) smart calls since their launch, from planting their three, separate vineyard blocks with three of the world's premier Pinot Noir clones from Burgundy to hiring winemaker James MacPhail. 
 

MacPhail is a traditionalist. He espouses hand-picking and hand-sorting his grapes, favors (with his reds) daily punch-downs by hand, the better to extract the flavors; and (with his whites) the use of native yeasts.
 

The Pinot Noir Sunny View takes its grapes from the Sunny View Vineyard, located on the Santa Rosa plain. A single vineyard site, it’s prone to cool days and nights, and to producing fruit of great depth and concentration. The 2017 vintage is no exception, and in fact is generally believed to be among the finest the estate has so far seen. The grapes were hand-picked, hand-sorted, and de-stemmed, and, after crushing, aged for 16 months in 100% French oak.
 

The Wine Enthusiast raved about the final product. "Intensely earthy, spicy and densely packed in black fruit," it wrote, in a 93-point rave, "this wine is full bodied, fleshy and lengthy, with a generous helping of oak." 
 

The Chardonnay, meanwhile, is sourced from Searby Vineyard, located in the exceptionally cool Green Valley sub-AVA of the Russian River Valley. This ten-acre vineyard has retained its original old vines, planted in 1972 in sandy loam soils and cooled by gentle Pacific breezes. MacPhail opted for barrel fermentation with native yeasts and aged it sur lie for 16 months in French oak. 
 

This is a Chardonnay of great robustness, with persistent and deeply fragrant aromas and a rich palate of pear, lemon zest, passion fruit, and apple. 
 

It's ready to go right now, and will pair marvelously with an array of fish and seafood dishes, including wood-grilled lobster, garlic shrimp, and pan-roasted halibut with corn sauce. 
 

Make the call, folks — or as Nantz himself might say: Hello, friends, you just can't miss with these two  slam dunks. 

 


 

*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2022 (December 21, 2022 - March 21, 2023). With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Monday, October 24, 2022.

*Due to limited storage space for pre-ordered product, we can only hold orders for 30 days from the first notification that your order is ready for pickup. If you are unable to pick up your order within 30 days, please contact Concierge Sales at (855) 841-2752 or conciergesales@totalwine.com to make an arrangement. A store associate may reach out periodically to notify you of your order. Unfortunately, if no arrangements have been made, after 30 days, the order will need to be cancelled and we will provide a full refund.  No orders will be cancelled without multiple communication attempts.