Drink: The Calling Chardonnay

I usually don't pay attention to celebrity wines. But the quality of some (see Wine Spectator's recent cover story on Sting's Tuscan wine, Il Palagio) has recently surged. The latest celeb vintner to make a splash will be familiar to college basketball fans. CBS sportcaster Jim Nantz, who's calling the Final Four and national championship game Monday, has put out a trio of surprisingly tasty Sonoma wines under the Calling label. The quality is no surprise, given that Nantz's partner, Peter Deutsch, is a veteran importer (CEO of W.J. Deutsch) with the contacts to source good juice. And with talented winemaker Dan Goldfield (of Dutton-Goldfield Winery), they've crafted three very good expressions of Sonoma terroir well under $30 - a Russian River pinot ($26.99) with a core of ripe berries wrapped in earth; a peppery, cassis dark Alexander Valley cab ($27.99); and a Chardonnay that is the most available of the three (and on sale for $22.99 until April 15). Made of prestigious Dutton Ranch grapes from the Russian River Valley, the 2013 is a good example of why I love Sonoma wines, with only just a hint of butter and barrel vanilla to frame (not overshadow) the gorgeous fruit, lush with white peach, stony acidity, and a long, pithy finish. So what's the call on The Calling? It's a three-pointer!

- Craig LaBan
The Calling Chardonnay 2013 (code 49622), on sale in Pa. for $22.99 (from $24.99) until April 15.