The Calling Brand Brochure 2023

OUR STORY

Unlocking the true potential of California winemaking

The Calling wines are a thoughtful collaboration between our Sonoma-based winemaking team and our esteemed family grower partners, granting us access to the best grapes in the region. Our winemakers, James MacPhail and Wayne Donaldson, work directly with our growers to source grapes from iconic, sustainably farmed Sonoma vineyards. Together, they give each of The Calling’s handcrafted Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons a clear, singular voice, vintage after vintage.

The Calling was born from a partnership between Jim Nantz and Peter Deutsch in 2012.

Each highly successful in their own pursuits, they discovered a shared passion for wine and embarked on a path to a new vision - to create a winery as a tribute to their fathers who were instrumental in helping each of them discover their own callings. Their aspiration is that in discovering these inspired wines, others will follow their passions to pursue their own dreams and to find their own callings.

“ Our winemakers work directly with family-owned growers to source grapes from iconic, sustainably farmed vineyards”

-Peter Deutsch

James MacPhail

Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Winemaker

Jim Nantz & Peter Deutsch Co-Founders

OUR WINEMAKERS

James MacPhail – Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Winemaker

OUR WINEMAKERS

Wayne Donaldson – Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker

James has deep family roots in Sonoma County and a long history of producing critically acclaimed wines of tremendous character. Encouraged by his father, James pursued his calling to become a winemaker in the mid-1990s, mentored by some of Sonoma County's most venerable winemakers and growers. Through this experience, he honed his craft focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley.

Since 2002, James has produced over 100 different Pinots and Chardonnays with 90+ point scores making him one of only a few members of the 90+/90+ Club in Sonoma County.

Wayne Donaldson has been a leader in the international wine industry for nearly three decades. Beginning his career in his homeland of Australia, Wayne has worked in many of the world’s finest wine-growing regions, including Champagne, South Africa and New Zealand.

He eventually landed in California, devoting his talents to producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Wayne’s masterful winemaking "speaks for itself," resulting in expressive and bold wines that fulfill Jim and Peter's vision that represent the California terroir beautifully.

OUR WINEMAKING METHOD

Our winemakers favor a low-intervention winemaking method, which allows the varietal purity of our top quality grapes to shine through in the wines. Grapes are hand-picked and sorted every vintage, ensuring only the healthiest and ripest grapes make it into our fermentation vessels.

CHARDONNAY: All of our Chardonnays see some time in French oak barrels, up to 30% new, and sit on the lees with stirring for added flavor and complexity.

PINOT NOIR: Our Pinot Noirs undergo a five-day cold soak with daily punch-downs for enhanced flavor extraction. They are all aged for extended time in French oak barrels, up to 35% new.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON: Our Cabernet Sauvignons undergo natural yeast fermentation with an extended maceration to soften the tannins. They are matured in barrel for at least 18 months in French oak barrels, at least 50% new.

OUR PORTFOLIO

Gold Collection

Vibrant AVA expressions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon that showcase the full-blown beauty and truest expressions of the top regions in California.

OUR SINGLE VINEYARD SOURCING

Platinum Collection

Single vineyard wines made in very small quantities, representing the culmination of our careful fruit sourcing and exacting winemaking efforts.

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Pinot Noir

Sourcing: Russian River Valley AVA

We source from several locations throughout the Russian River Valley, with each vineyard site contributing unique aspects to the complexity of the resulting wine.

Vineyards located in the warmer end of the Russian River Valley contribute ripe fruit elements while cooler sites lend a strong minerality and structural backbone, and vines at altitude—grown in sandy, well-drained soil—add complexity and structure.

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Chardonnay

Sourcing: Russian River Valley AVA

Dutton Ranch is composed of 1,100 acres of premium Sonoma County vineyards planted on coveted Goldridge sandy loam soil.

Plots in the warmer end of the valley contributed ripe tropical elements, while those from cooler areas lend minerality and a structural backbone.

Tasting Profile: The Calling’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is smooth and silky with flavors of red fruits and a lingering, fruit-forward finish.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked then hand sorted before undergoing primary fermentation. During fermentation, grapes were punched down by hand up to three times, daily. Wine was aged sur-lie in 100% French oak, 30% new, for 11 months.

Tasting Profile: The Calling’s Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is balanced and full-bodied with notes of Bartlett pear, honeydew melon and crushed white rose.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked during the height of the cool nighttime temperature, and immediately whole cluster-pressed. Juice went directly to 100% French Oak barrels, 35% new, and barrel fermented to dryness. Aged sur-lie for 11 months with frequent battonage through primary fermentation.

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Cabernet Sauvignon

Sourcing: Alexander Valley AVA

The Alexander Valley’s diverse appellation consists of a broad valley floor bisected by the Russian River and is surrounded by hills that block the coastal fog, keeping the region warmer than most of its neighbors.

This climate, combined with well-drained, gravelly soils, helps the Alexander Valley to produce some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon

s onoma c oast c ha RD onnay

Sourcing: Sonoma Coast AVA

The Sonoma Coast is one of the best places to grow Chardonnay due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and ideal blend of fog, soil, elevation, and cool temperatures.

The Chardonnay grapes benefit from cooling coastal fog that preserves the natural acidity, while warmer locations contribute citrus and stone fruit notes.

Tasting Profile: The Calling’s Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is rich, robust, and age-worthy, bursting with blue and black fruits, dark chocolate, and pepper.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-sorted and gently crushed. The wine underwent natural-yeast fermentation in barrel and had an extended maceration period to soften the tannins. The wine was bottled after 18 months of aging.

Tasting Profile: The Calling’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is light and delicate, with lemon curd on the nose, citrus, and a crisp minerality.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked and 100% whole-cluster pressed, fermented in 40% French Oak barrels, 15% new; and 60% stainless steel. The wine went through 100% malolactic fermentation and barrel percentage was aged sur lie for 11 months.

Click here for full technical sheet

Click here for full technical sheet

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Pinot Noir

Sourcing: Monterey County AVA

The warm sun, cool fog and complex soil composition make Monterey County wine country-quintessence and ideal for growing quality Pinot Noir.

The defining characteristic of these wines is balance, with flavor and structure that complement each other to make elegant wines.

Tasting Profile: The Calling’s Monterey County Pinot Noir is lush with juicy acidity and flavors of strawberry and rhubarb pie, dried cranberry, muddled cherry and red plum.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked then hand-sorted before undergoing primary fermentation. During fermentation, grapes were punched down by hand up to three times, daily. Wine was aged sur-lie in 100% French Oak, 30% new, for 11 months.

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Russian River Valley ava

Just shy of 10 acres, the Searby Vineyard is situated on a gently sloping, west-facing hillside on the legendary Goldridge soils of the Russian River Valley. Originally planted in 1972 by Sonoma wine industry pioneer Warren Dutton, this classic site is dry-farmed, relying upon the marine influence of the nearby Pacific to keep it exceptionally cool and the evening fog to provide moisture.

Cared for by celebrated vineyard manager Charles Heintz, Searby Vineyard is head-trained, meaning the vines grow without trellising, and undergo minimal pruning and spraying. At almost 50-years old, the old-vine Rued clone Chardonnay produces smaller yields with each passing vintage – small, intensely-aromatic Chardonnay grapes that are then entrusted to winemaker James MacPhail.

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Russian River Valley ava

The Dutton family’s 17-acre Sullivan Vineyard sits on a gentle north-facing slope at 200 feet of elevation in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley. We are privileged to have access to these coveted 30+ year-old plantings of “Wente Selection” Chardonnay vines, strengthened by the area’s legendary Goldridge soil. The fruit from Sullivan Vineyard possesses a depth, ripeness, and balance that translate into a rich, luscious, and singular wine.

The Green Valley sub-AVA is an important area of the Russian River Valley and home to some of the region’s oldest and most coveted vineyards. Mineral-rich and sandy Goldridge soil is abundant in the area, harkening back to the region’s beginnings as an inland sea several million years ago. The climate is consistently cooler than that of surrounding areas, and Green Valley is unique in its protection from cold and misty coastal winds, allowing the daily fog to linger, limiting fluctuating temperatures throughout the day.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Searby Vineyard Chardonnay is a fresh, opulent and balanced Chardonnay with medium body. It has aromas of Bartlett pear, crushed white rose petals, lemon curd and pineapple. Bartlett pear, lemon meringue, Gravenstein apple, white flowers, wet stone and sweet spice show on the palate.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Sullivan Vineyard Chardonnay is beautifully aromatic with notes of peach, apricot and some subtle oak notes. A rich mouthfeel fills the palate, balanced with crisp acidity and flavors of stone fruit, pineapple and crème brulee. Well-integrated oak notes are present on the long, persistent finish.

Winemaking: Hand-picked fruit from the 50-year-old Searby Vineyard was barrel-fermented with native yeasts followed by 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged sur lie for 16 months in French Oak.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-sorted and whole clusters were gently pressed into French Oak barrels. The wine was barrel fermented with native yeasts and underwent 100% native malolactic fermentation. It was aged sur-lie in barrel for 15 months with frequent battonage through primary fermentation.

Click here for full technical sheet

The Putnam family farms this magical 32-acre vineyard nestled in a grove of redwoods on the extreme Sonoma Coast—just six miles from the Pacific Ocean in the tiny town of Annapolis, CA. The site’s coastal proximity and Goldridge sandy loam soils result in wines with tremendous richness matched with high-toned finesse.

With a cool climate and high annual rainfall, the growing season at Putnam Vineyard is long and grapes mature more slowly than in warmer areas farther inland. The vineyard is perched just above the fog line and among giant redwood trees native to the area. When the vineyard was first developed in 1977, Cliff and Puanani Putnam were adamant about protecting the redwoods to preserve the natural beauty of the landscape, an early sign of their commitment to sustainability and the natural environment.

Russian River Valley ava

Lying low within the fog belt, the Sunny View name belies its character. The 17-acre Sunny View vineyard is located in the Santa Rosa Plain, right in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Three vineyard blocks of Pinot Noir are each planted to a distinctive, heritage clone: Pommard, Dijon 667 and Dijon 777.

Cool days and chilly, foggy nights work in tandem with clay-based soils to ensure a low yield of highly concentrated fruit. The resulting Pinot Noir is delicately balanced with tremendous depth and ripe concentration complemented by acidity and verve.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Patriarch Pinot Noir is a full-bodied Pinot with an elegant array of rich, bold aromatics and flavors: cloves, white pepper, red fruits (plum, sweet wild strawberry, raspberry), and forest floor.

Winemaking: Grapes were harvested by hand before undergoing a 35-day fermentation in French oak. To enhance flavor extraction, grapes were punched down by hand three times a day.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Sunny View Pinot Noir has concentrated fruit and floral notes on the nose. On the palate, flavors of red cherry, boysenberry, tobacco and a hint of licorice are well balanced with refreshing acidity and elegant tannins.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked, hand-sorted, and de-stemmed. They underwent a five-day cold soak followed by fermentation with daily punch-downs by hand to enhance flavor extraction.

Russian River Valley ava

Fox Den Vineyard is named for the family of foxes who resided on the property when the Smith family settled on their 14 acres along the western edge of the Russian River Valley in 1972. When the Smiths arrived, a family of foxes occupied the original barn on the property. The Smith family allowed the foxes to stay while they built their own home, and to this day the foxes remain, bringing their young out from the old barn every spring to play and explore the vineyard.

Petaluma Gap ava

Since its first planting in 2002, Terra de Promissio has received widespread acclaim as an ideal place to grow Pinot Noir grapes of exceptional quality. The perfect combination of southwest sun exposure, cooling wind, slight elevation, and fog that rolls in nightly from the Petaluma Gap allow the grapes to ripen slowly with extended hang time for optimum ripeness. This idyllic and sustainable land is home to some of the most highly-regarded Pinot Noir in Sonoma County and has become the most designated Pinot Noir vineyard in the region.

Fox Den Vineyards sits on the western boundary of the Green Valley AVA in the Russian River Valley near the town of Occidental. Its microclimate, 12 miles from the coast, offers moderate daytime temperatures, cool nights, and early morning fog, resulting in a very long growing season and ideal conditions for Pinot Noir. Our grapes achieve the right balance and maturity with optimal sugar levels, ripe tannins, and high acid, yielding a very dense, complex, and age-worthy wine.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Fox Den Pinot Noir has a bright nose of delicate blackberry and vanilla. The palate is finely structured but holds ripe, juicy black and blue fruits with depth and balance.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked, hand-sorted, and de-stemmed. They underwent a five-day cold soak followed by fermentation in French Oak with daily punch-downs by hand, three times a day to enhance flavor extraction.

Diana and Charles Karren began their vineyard journey in the late 1990s, seeking out a location to pursue their dream of growing Sonoma’s best Pinot Noir. After visiting over 100 potential vineyard sites, the Karrens stepped out of their vehicle at what is now Terra de Promissio and sensed immediately that it was their “promised land.” Diana’s family helped plant the first vineyard block by hand, and they continue their meticulous management of the vineyard, even building their family home at the foot of the sloping hillside so they can watch over their vines day and night.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Terra de Promissio Pinot Noir has a perfumed nose of bright red fruit and citrus. Elegant texture combines with layers of complexity including red berries, dried herbs and citrus peel. Well balanced with smooth tannins and measured acidity it finishes with a hint of earthiness.

Winemaking: Grapes were harvested by hand before undergoing a 120-day fermentation in French Oak. To enhance flavor extraction, grapes were punched down by hand three times a day.

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Moon Mountain District ava

One of the newer AVAs in Sonoma County, Moon Mountain was finally awarded AVA status in 2013 despite being home to some of Sonoma County’s oldest and most prestigious vineyards. Though it encompasses over 17,000 acres, only 1,500 acres are planted with vines due to the rocky, steep, landscape. The west-facing appellation is perched high above the Sonoma Valley on the southern end of the Mayacamas mountain range, just 50 miles north of San Francisco.

Its 1,500 acres of vines range from 400ft to over 2,600ft above sea level and are grown in red, rocky, volcanic soils. Warm, sunny days tempered by cool afternoon breezes off the Pacific Ocean create powerful, multifaceted wines with dark, brooding fruit, an underscore of complex savory notes and a coffee and dark cocoa finish.

Tasting Profile: The Calling Our Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon has rich aromas and spicy notes with blue and black berry fruits layered over hints of chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The palate is robust yet elegant with silky tannins and flavors of black plum and coffee married with a seductive cinnamon spice. It boasts the dense structure and balanced, velvety tannins that the region is famous for.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-sorted and gently crushed. After native-yeast fermentation, the wine went through a 72-hour cold soak followed by a 5-10 day open top fermenter co-ferment, with multiple punch downs daily. The wine goes through malolactic, is racked, and then is barreled in 50% new American Oak for 24 months.

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Russian River Valley ava

Resting at 900 feet above sea level and located nine miles from the Sonoma Coast, Charles Heintz Vineyard grows some of the world’s most sought-after grapes in the Russian River Valley. The Heintz family, now third generation farmers, has farmed the same coastal ridgeline in western Sonoma County for over 100 years. The vineyard, planted in Goldridge soils, experiences cool maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean, with a foggy, coastal exposition. Celebrated for its exceptional quality, balance, and unique terroir, the vineyard now produces some of Sonoma’s most prestigious chardonnays.

Tasting Profile: With the vines often sitting above the fog line, the slow ripening process helps to preserve the acidity while developing great structure, steadily building character and richness. Because of the vineyard’s exposure, the wines tend to run the gamut of aromas, from tropical to melon to apple notes, and signature white flower botanicals, honeysuckle, and lemon. This vineyard brings notes of soil-inflected minerality.

Winemaking: Grapes were hand-picked and 100% whole-cluster pressed, fermented in 40% French Oak barrels, 15% new; and 60% stainless steel. The wine went through 100% malolactic fermentation and barrel percentage was aged sur lie for 11 months.

OUR SOURCING

Dutcher Crossing Estate

Dutcher Crossing

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Betty Ann 16

Bravo Toro 17

Dutton Ranch - Morelli 18

Dutton Ranch - Thomas Road 19 Elsbree 21

La

Sangiacomo Vineyards - El Novillero

Dutton Ranch - Ross Ranch

Vineyard Designate Chardonnay Searby

Dutton Ranch - Winkler 20 Kozlowski 22

Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir

Fox Den Vineyard 23

Putnam Vineyard (Patriarch) 24

Dutton Ranch Chardonnay

Dutton Ranch - Braughton

Monterey County Pinot Noir

Terra de Promissio Vineyard 25 33

La Estancia (St. Lucia Highlands)

Smith Family Ranches (Monterey) 32

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Dirty Farmer Moon Mountain Vineyards 26

Speedy Creek Vineyards 27

Reynoso Vineyards 28

Nimble Ranch 29

Rio Lago Vineyards 30

Our Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon

Amaro Moon Mountain 31

Current Vintage Accolades:

SEVENTY

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