Fresh & pure, with notes of orange peel, spiced baked apple, clove and star anise. The palate reinforces the fresh character, with bright, precise acidity leading through almond and tangerine fruit. Hard-spice notes of cardamom pod and nutmeg persist into the long, rich finish. Delicious today, but built to age gracefully under proper cellar conditions well into the future.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
93 Points & Editors’ Choice, Wine Enthusiast
“Aged in oak, acacia and concrete, this is a tremendous example of a racy style done well. Aromas of crushed chalk, lightly braised apricot and slivers of cashew are seamlessly woven together, leading into a sip that shows brightness, finetuned acidity and structural grip. Rounded pear flavors and lime squeezed on nectarine ensure that it doesn’t dive into sourness.”
Estate Vineyard
The Center of Effort estate vineyard is pitched along south-facing slopes in the western Edna Valley, just 4.5 miles from the Pacific shoreline. The vineyard unfolds along an uplifted ancient dune. The soil is rocky and sandy, in contrast to the thicker clay soils found elsewhere in the valley. The vines achieve natural balance in this ground, with limited vigor and low yields. The lean, sandy soil is ultimately a differentiating factor in our wines, expressing itself with sleek complexity.
The Chardonnay portion of the vineyard spans 29.5 acres planted at 1,089 vines per acre in 1997. All of the Chardonnay blocks are planted to just one heritage selection of the Chardonnay grape, allowing for a clear expression of the vineyard’s terroir as the soils and exposures evolve from block to block.
Winemaking
Only the finest Chardonnay sub-blocks of the vintage were identified and designated for Center of Effort. These vines were hand picked at varying stages of maturation under the direction of the winemaking team to develop a natural tapestry of flavor, texture and acidity.
Harvesting was conducted at night to respect the integrity of the fruit. The bunches were carefully hand sorted in the vineyard to ensure that only the finest clusters were delivered to the winery, and the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed to minimize phenolic extraction. After settling for 24 hours, the juice was racked to new and once used French oak barrels for fermentation. Selected small lots were fermented in acacia-wood barrels and small concrete fermentation vessels, to develop further nuance and range to draw upon in our final blend. Native yeast were allowed their own rhythm and pace - active fermentation required nearly 10 months in barrel to complete, followed by an additional year of sur-lies aging prior to blending & bottling.
Specifications
Vintage: 2014
Harvest Dates: 3 September - 25 September
ML Fermentation: 100% ML Complete
Aging Regimen: 20 months élevage, 30% new French Oak barrels, 10% Concrete fermented, 2% Acacia barrels
Winery: Center of Effort Winery
Owners: Bill and Cheryl Swanson
Founded: 1978
Location: Edna Valley, CA
Center of Effort, where the guiding forces of skillful cultivation, artful winemaking and a passion for excellence come together and create the magic in the bottle.
The estate at Center of Effort has origins that date back to 1978 when it was originally The Lawrence Family Winery. Founder Jim Lawrence was one of the first vintners to grasp the potential of the Edna Valley. In time, the Lawrence estate became an epicenter of the local wine community, serving as a magnet for some of the region’s brightest winemaking talents.
Today the vision of the owners, Bill and Cheryl Swanson, is an established artisan winery that will maximize the estate’s potential and be unique within the beautiful Edna Valley. The name Center of Effort references a sailing term which is the point on the sail where the forces come together and act as a whole. Through skillful cultivation, artistic winemaking, and a passion for excellence, these forces join to create a wine that is classic, timeless and exudes a sense of place and purpose.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Center of Effort Chardonnay - $60 = 27.26%
There’s a complexity and a seriousness about red wine that’s a very important part of the experience. Red wine develops in the palate, changes in the glass as the temp changes, and brings a melange of flavor.
White wine doesn’t have that. Chardonnay ESPECIALLY doesn’t have that.
Right?
Well…
There’s a forwarding trend of white wines (AFAIK Roussane has always been this way) where you have a sexy oily richness and then get hit in the mouth with a surprise of minerality. These are sippers, not quaffers, because every sip is a little bit of a mystery in trying to nail down the nose, the mineral quality, the richness, how it hits in the mouth. It’s an open mouthed sip, it gets swirled around your mouth a couple times.
You try it in a smaller glass, and then find it’s perfect in those giant glasses you only use for the biggest, boldest reds, those glasses that are best when you’ve got less than two ounces to swirl around the bottom. The golden color leaves ridges around the glass, and the nose is funky like you get with a good sauterne, and you get green apple and pineapple notes with stone and stone fruit.
The wine wraps itself around your tongue when you taste it. The oily, sexy richness with a touch of apricot mixed with pico fruita tropical fruit makes you close your eyes when limestone and minerality cut the rich flavor down and open your eyes all the way.
You realize you’ve only take one sip. You pour a glass for your partner because this is amazing alone but better as a shared experience. It takes the two of you 3 hours to take this bottle down. Every sip is a little different than the last, and it’s enough to just sip this wine.
You remember to eat dinner, and you make a chop with a homemade bearnaise, braised fennel, and baby salt potatoes. The richness of the bearnaise with fresh tarragon makes the wine burst open. It’s a beautiful marriage, and it’s a bite to savor.
How did we get here? White wine isn’t supposed to taste like this, is it? Isn’t chardonnay just an overgrown boring wine? Shouldn’t this be an oak and butter bomb?
Nope. This wine is what happens when winemakers embrace their grape and throw down on some concrete tanks along with french oak and acacia wood barrels. This is how white wine takes superiority, and I, for one, welcome our golden, complex overlords.
The Wine Enthusiast review above is for the wrong wine. It appears Center of Effort has two tiers of chardonnay, a $24 bottle called “EFFORT” and a $35 bottle labeled “Center of Effort”. The review above is for the $24 bottle, not this one. Here is the link to that incorrect review: https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/center-of-effort-2014-chardonnay-edna-valley.
However Wine Enthusiast did review this wine, also 93 points but not an Editor’s Choice. Here is the correct review:
93 Points. Though golden-hued in the glass, this is rather mellow on the nose, with soft lemon cream, toasted apple and marzipan aromas. The palate shows intense acidic energy, with zippy, tight and clean nectarine sorbet and Meyer lemon rind flavors. 8/1/17 MK
@albany14us I see this too, but the price doesn’t seem to change for the (supposedly) higher priced shipping upgrade. I’m not sure if that’s a glitch or a feature.
A couple more pro reviews
91 Points Vinous (Josh Raynolds 7/18)
and Jeb Dunnuck: 93 Points
“Buttered citrus, pineapple, floral and mineral notes all emerge from the 2014 Chardonnay Center of Effort, and it’s clean, crisp and refreshing on the palate, with building richness. It’s another impeccably made wine from this estate that’s a joy to drink. This cuvée comes all from the estate Center of Effort vineyard and was brought up in a combination of concrete, acacia, neutral and new French oak.”
Center of Effort
Chardonnay
2014 Edna Valley
Second rat, chiming in! Sorry for the delay, sneaking away during the work day to sample wine is a tough job, but someone has to do it
I started with a small splash in my glass, just enough to get an idea of the visual characteristics of the wine. The wine is starbright, clear, and straw colored. Heavy, slow-to-form tears roll down the sides for 5 minutes after initial swirl. I’m already interested in what this wine has to share!
My first inhale reveals moderate-intensity, vinous aromas of typical chardonnay nose notes; I smell stonefruit, honeysuckle, and pineapple, married with baking spices and a hint of wet stone.
My first sip takes me in a totally different direction than I had expected from this wine. Chardonnay is not my forte and I tend to appreciate more of an old-world style that steers clear of oaky, toasty, butter. This wine is right up my alley for what I seek from a Chardonnay. There is a bright, dry, acidity that is refreshing yet complex on the palate. There are flavors of the stonefruit I detected on the nose, mixed with lemon peel, tart green apple, and a bit of the chalky minerality (concrete?) I enjoy in white wines. The flavors are balanced and marry together with a wonderful complexity. There is discernable oak, but not in a way I am turned-off by its presence. It is subtly balanced with the bright acidity and tart stonefruit flavors. The light body, lean texture, and moderately long finish, feel good in my mouth as I dissect the layers of complexity with each sip. I’m loving this wine and look forward to its evolution as it opens and warms a bit in the glass. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on how it changes in the glass as it’s back to the ol’ grind. Later this evening I’ll have time to experience the full journey with this wine.
I had guessed this wine in the $20+/per bottle range, so after taking a peak at today’s offer, I’d call it a bargain at even the 3-pack price of $18.33/btl. Wish I could share this last sip with my Casemates out there, but all I can tell you is I’m in for a case, no brainer. You won’t be disappointed with this offering at any quantity.
Cheers! Timnath
Hey there, Casemates! Nathan here, I am the winemaker for Center of Effort wines. Really pleased to read the great lab-rat notes on our Chardonnay - we really love this wine, and are excited to share it here with all of you.
@kaolis Acacia is used for barrels; I first saw it in sweet wine appellations around Bordeaux when I was doing some work there in 2008. I was told it was technically illegal there, as the appellation laws only allowed French oak barriques, but every house seemed to have a few, for the honeycomb and aromatic signature they bring. We were seeking more diversity in cooperage and brought them in. I find them to be very green and fresh, like a broken sapling. They are not generally favorites as stand alone barrels, but make great components in a blend. In general, our barrel program embraces more raw wood and very light toast tones - seems to work better with our very high natural acid wines than the more common very ‘sweet’ toasted vanilla/caramel oak barrels that seem ubiquitous in California Chardonnay.
Tasting Notes
Fresh & pure, with notes of orange peel, spiced baked apple, clove and star anise. The palate reinforces the fresh character, with bright, precise acidity leading through almond and tangerine fruit. Hard-spice notes of cardamom pod and nutmeg persist into the long, rich finish. Delicious today, but built to age gracefully under proper cellar conditions well into the future.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
93 Points & Editors’ Choice, Wine Enthusiast
“Aged in oak, acacia and concrete, this is a tremendous example of a racy style done well. Aromas of crushed chalk, lightly braised apricot and slivers of cashew are seamlessly woven together, leading into a sip that shows brightness, finetuned acidity and structural grip. Rounded pear flavors and lime squeezed on nectarine ensure that it doesn’t dive into sourness.”
Estate Vineyard
The Center of Effort estate vineyard is pitched along south-facing slopes in the western Edna Valley, just 4.5 miles from the Pacific shoreline. The vineyard unfolds along an uplifted ancient dune. The soil is rocky and sandy, in contrast to the thicker clay soils found elsewhere in the valley. The vines achieve natural balance in this ground, with limited vigor and low yields. The lean, sandy soil is ultimately a differentiating factor in our wines, expressing itself with sleek complexity.
The Chardonnay portion of the vineyard spans 29.5 acres planted at 1,089 vines per acre in 1997. All of the Chardonnay blocks are planted to just one heritage selection of the Chardonnay grape, allowing for a clear expression of the vineyard’s terroir as the soils and exposures evolve from block to block.
Winemaking
Only the finest Chardonnay sub-blocks of the vintage were identified and designated for Center of Effort. These vines were hand picked at varying stages of maturation under the direction of the winemaking team to develop a natural tapestry of flavor, texture and acidity.
Harvesting was conducted at night to respect the integrity of the fruit. The bunches were carefully hand sorted in the vineyard to ensure that only the finest clusters were delivered to the winery, and the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed to minimize phenolic extraction. After settling for 24 hours, the juice was racked to new and once used French oak barrels for fermentation. Selected small lots were fermented in acacia-wood barrels and small concrete fermentation vessels, to develop further nuance and range to draw upon in our final blend. Native yeast were allowed their own rhythm and pace - active fermentation required nearly 10 months in barrel to complete, followed by an additional year of sur-lies aging prior to blending & bottling.
Specifications
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$495.75/case at Center of Effort Winery (including shipping)
About The Winery
Winery: Center of Effort Winery
Owners: Bill and Cheryl Swanson
Founded: 1978
Location: Edna Valley, CA
Center of Effort, where the guiding forces of skillful cultivation, artful winemaking and a passion for excellence come together and create the magic in the bottle.
The estate at Center of Effort has origins that date back to 1978 when it was originally The Lawrence Family Winery. Founder Jim Lawrence was one of the first vintners to grasp the potential of the Edna Valley. In time, the Lawrence estate became an epicenter of the local wine community, serving as a magnet for some of the region’s brightest winemaking talents.
Today the vision of the owners, Bill and Cheryl Swanson, is an established artisan winery that will maximize the estate’s potential and be unique within the beautiful Edna Valley. The name Center of Effort references a sailing term which is the point on the sail where the forces come together and act as a whole. Through skillful cultivation, artistic winemaking, and a passion for excellence, these forces join to create a wine that is classic, timeless and exudes a sense of place and purpose.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, September 19th - Monday, September 23rd
Center of Effort Chardonnay
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2014 Center of Effort Chardonnay
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2014 Center of Effort Chardonnay - $60 = 27.26%
Now that’s a pH I can get behind!
/giphy neanderthal-restful-sandwich
There’s a complexity and a seriousness about red wine that’s a very important part of the experience. Red wine develops in the palate, changes in the glass as the temp changes, and brings a melange of flavor.
White wine doesn’t have that. Chardonnay ESPECIALLY doesn’t have that.
Right?
Well…
There’s a forwarding trend of white wines (AFAIK Roussane has always been this way) where you have a sexy oily richness and then get hit in the mouth with a surprise of minerality. These are sippers, not quaffers, because every sip is a little bit of a mystery in trying to nail down the nose, the mineral quality, the richness, how it hits in the mouth. It’s an open mouthed sip, it gets swirled around your mouth a couple times.
You try it in a smaller glass, and then find it’s perfect in those giant glasses you only use for the biggest, boldest reds, those glasses that are best when you’ve got less than two ounces to swirl around the bottom. The golden color leaves ridges around the glass, and the nose is funky like you get with a good sauterne, and you get green apple and pineapple notes with stone and stone fruit.
The wine wraps itself around your tongue when you taste it. The oily, sexy richness with a touch of apricot mixed with pico fruita tropical fruit makes you close your eyes when limestone and minerality cut the rich flavor down and open your eyes all the way.
You realize you’ve only take one sip. You pour a glass for your partner because this is amazing alone but better as a shared experience. It takes the two of you 3 hours to take this bottle down. Every sip is a little different than the last, and it’s enough to just sip this wine.
You remember to eat dinner, and you make a chop with a homemade bearnaise, braised fennel, and baby salt potatoes. The richness of the bearnaise with fresh tarragon makes the wine burst open. It’s a beautiful marriage, and it’s a bite to savor.
How did we get here? White wine isn’t supposed to taste like this, is it? Isn’t chardonnay just an overgrown boring wine? Shouldn’t this be an oak and butter bomb?
Nope. This wine is what happens when winemakers embrace their grape and throw down on some concrete tanks along with french oak and acacia wood barrels. This is how white wine takes superiority, and I, for one, welcome our golden, complex overlords.
Yes, I’m buying this wine.
@erisire Nice review
@nasbomb Thanks!
Another offering where my state is missing from the shipping list
The Wine Enthusiast review above is for the wrong wine. It appears Center of Effort has two tiers of chardonnay, a $24 bottle called “EFFORT” and a $35 bottle labeled “Center of Effort”. The review above is for the $24 bottle, not this one. Here is the link to that incorrect review:
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/center-of-effort-2014-chardonnay-edna-valley.
However Wine Enthusiast did review this wine, also 93 points but not an Editor’s Choice. Here is the correct review:
93 Points. Though golden-hued in the glass, this is rather mellow on the nose, with soft lemon cream, toasted apple and marzipan aromas. The palate shows intense acidic energy, with zippy, tight and clean nectarine sorbet and Meyer lemon rind flavors. 8/1/17 MK
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/center-of-effort-2014-chardonnay-edna-valley-265209/
fwiw
@kaolis Edited
Why is there no standard shipping for 12 bottle cases?
@albany14us I see this too, but the price doesn’t seem to change for the (supposedly) higher priced shipping upgrade. I’m not sure if that’s a glitch or a feature.
@albany14us @jwhetzel I was just there, all size/shipping options are now open.
@albany14us @jwhetzel @rpstrong
All should now be back to normal.
A couple more pro reviews
91 Points Vinous (Josh Raynolds 7/18)
and Jeb Dunnuck: 93 Points
“Buttered citrus, pineapple, floral and mineral notes all emerge from the 2014 Chardonnay Center of Effort, and it’s clean, crisp and refreshing on the palate, with building richness. It’s another impeccably made wine from this estate that’s a joy to drink. This cuvée comes all from the estate Center of Effort vineyard and was brought up in a combination of concrete, acacia, neutral and new French oak.”
again, fwiw
No actual wine chatter/questions…?
A second rat?
Is a Rep going to join us?
@winedavid49
@rjquillin I am here! Love to chatter about wine a bit!
Center of Effort
Chardonnay
2014 Edna Valley
Second rat, chiming in! Sorry for the delay, sneaking away during the work day to sample wine is a tough job, but someone has to do it
I started with a small splash in my glass, just enough to get an idea of the visual characteristics of the wine. The wine is starbright, clear, and straw colored. Heavy, slow-to-form tears roll down the sides for 5 minutes after initial swirl. I’m already interested in what this wine has to share!
My first inhale reveals moderate-intensity, vinous aromas of typical chardonnay nose notes; I smell stonefruit, honeysuckle, and pineapple, married with baking spices and a hint of wet stone.
My first sip takes me in a totally different direction than I had expected from this wine. Chardonnay is not my forte and I tend to appreciate more of an old-world style that steers clear of oaky, toasty, butter. This wine is right up my alley for what I seek from a Chardonnay. There is a bright, dry, acidity that is refreshing yet complex on the palate. There are flavors of the stonefruit I detected on the nose, mixed with lemon peel, tart green apple, and a bit of the chalky minerality (concrete?) I enjoy in white wines. The flavors are balanced and marry together with a wonderful complexity. There is discernable oak, but not in a way I am turned-off by its presence. It is subtly balanced with the bright acidity and tart stonefruit flavors. The light body, lean texture, and moderately long finish, feel good in my mouth as I dissect the layers of complexity with each sip. I’m loving this wine and look forward to its evolution as it opens and warms a bit in the glass. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on how it changes in the glass as it’s back to the ol’ grind. Later this evening I’ll have time to experience the full journey with this wine.
I had guessed this wine in the $20+/per bottle range, so after taking a peak at today’s offer, I’d call it a bargain at even the 3-pack price of $18.33/btl. Wish I could share this last sip with my Casemates out there, but all I can tell you is I’m in for a case, no brainer. You won’t be disappointed with this offering at any quantity.
Cheers! Timnath
@timnath Damn, you two Rats are making it hard to resist…
Yeah, I knew it would happen eventually…
/giphy snobbish-surging-quiet
SoCal interest?
Hey there, Casemates! Nathan here, I am the winemaker for Center of Effort wines. Really pleased to read the great lab-rat notes on our Chardonnay - we really love this wine, and are excited to share it here with all of you.
Link to tech notes
@COEWINE This was an incredible wine. Thanks for letting us try it!
@COEWINE The use of acacia wood, not familiar with it. Can you shed some light on its use. I notice the percentage used is small. Thanks!
@kaolis that Clark Smith Rosé that was on here a short while ago was aged in acacia. Fwiw
@kaolis Acacia is used for barrels; I first saw it in sweet wine appellations around Bordeaux when I was doing some work there in 2008. I was told it was technically illegal there, as the appellation laws only allowed French oak barriques, but every house seemed to have a few, for the honeycomb and aromatic signature they bring. We were seeking more diversity in cooperage and brought them in. I find them to be very green and fresh, like a broken sapling. They are not generally favorites as stand alone barrels, but make great components in a blend. In general, our barrel program embraces more raw wood and very light toast tones - seems to work better with our very high natural acid wines than the more common very ‘sweet’ toasted vanilla/caramel oak barrels that seem ubiquitous in California Chardonnay.
Anyone in PDX interested in a split?