Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
The Calling's best single-vineyard lot of Pinot each year is bottled as Patriarch. Lovely cherry fruit and silky texture; long, elegant, fresh and balanced.
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Wine Enthusiast
Raspberry coulis flavors are supported by robust oak and tannin in this densely built wine. Dried herb, tart pomegranate and tea notes provide a sultry edge and proof of coastal influence, marrying well with the richness.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Patriarch has pretty potpourri, underbrush and dried Provence herb scents with a good core of red currant jelly and raspberry tart. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers plenty of chewy tannins and red berry preserves flavors with just enough freshness and a spicy finish.
Jim Nantz, famed CBS sports commentator, and Peter Deutsch, founder and CEO of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, have created a portfolio of classic Sonoma wines from some of the most respected vineyards in the region.
The Calling wines are now quality standards for the Sonoma region with more than fifty 90+ ratings since the first vintage in 2012. Each region and vineyard site were chosen carefully for the vines that were planted and the style of wine produced. These wines are a true testament to the greatness that is possible when you follow your calling in life.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.