Bright and refreshing with fresh Meyer-lemon zest, ripe orange and shaved coconut on the nose. Rich beautiful texture and flavors of apple and pastry crust.
Honeyed aromas meet with fat peach on the riper nose of this bottling. The peachy flavors ride across the palate as well, where lemon-peel texture and acidity adds a tense and grippy counterpoint, becoming sharper toward the finish. 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Light, bright gold. Ripe orange, nectarine and melon scents are complemented by floral, vanilla and dusty mineral notes. Smooth and expansive on the palate, offering poached pear, peach nectar and pineapple flavors that pick up a subtle honeyed quality as the wine stretches out. Lush and open-knit but lively as well, delivering strong closing thrust and lingering suggestions of buttered toast, fennel and candied citrus zest. 92 Points, Vinous
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 regionās brightest winemaking talents.
Today the vision of the owners, Bill and Cheryl Swanson, is an established artisan winery that will maximize the estateās 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, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
Labrat bottle arrived with several days to spare according to Aliceās email, so I figured Iād let it rest a bit before tasting but was too excited not to at least open the box. This was a first to find: a recipe for an asparagus dish packed in, interesting. Didnāt get around to making it (recipe did not call for the wine itself) even though I have read asparagus can subdue hangovers.
Also inside was a bottle of Chardonnay from 2017 ā a pretty elegant looking bottle too, along with a two-page stapled handout with details about the vintage. Didnāt want to taint my initial thoughts on the tasting so I resisted reading on it, as I donāt drink or know much of chardonnays or whites at all for that matter. I did look up the winery and saw itās in southern california, so that did trick me a little into what to expect.
Gave it a good 24 hours then immediately at the end of Friday to close a rough week following spring break, I retrieved the bottle sitting at 64Ā° and opened it up (my casemates opener is getting worn and I had to pull out a box cutter to get past the foil). Sniffed the cork and got pear on the nose. Iād heard of cali chards being oak bombs, but wasnāt getting anything like that. The sun overtakes our kitchen and dining room in the early evening, but I bet even in dim lighting this glass of wine would still be bright and golden colored. Still smelled pear, and some apple.
First taste was pleasantly surprising- no oaky or butteriness to speak of. It did have some body to it, but the fruit stands out. More citrus notes arrive, maybe some floral, lemon? I glance at the notes and see mention of melon, hmm ok I think I get some of that. Pretty good though! My partner and I are typically bold red drinkers but both of us found this quite smooth and approachable. She said she tasted fruit, declared it ānot badā ā neither of us are much for sweet flavors, and she agreed it seemed there was a hint of sweet, but not sweet itself. It made little sense when I said it, but somehow expressed the feeling. Maybe thatās the definition of complexity in flavor.
Seems like the age is right and the quality is there. I would feel confident having this on hand for friends with discerning tastes for white wines. Other than just my own personal preference Iām not sure what could make this better. A solid, smooth Chardonnay without the buttery or oakiness seems like a winner for anyone who enjoys them.
James was nice enough to pass me the bottle on day two. Thank you.
On the nose, lemon, peach, and pineapple.
On the palate, very similar to the nose, but with hints of apple and a sharp tartness that lingered for ~ 30 seconds and then left a round mouthfeel after dissipation. Goat cheese was a bit overpowering, but not offensive. Final Four food did not leave an ideal pairing. Better a little warmer than fridge temp. As James mentioned, not oaky or buttery. Not as bright and lively as the European whites.
Day three was similar. The sharp tartness had slightly mellowed, yet still present. A bit rounder and fuller.
I donāt feel this requires food. Good deal at the case price.
āAging Regimen: 30% new French oak, 15% concrete fermentationāā¦thatās 45%. Maybe I donāt understand how they report this, but math says that 55% is aged somewhere else!
@michaelvella@TimW A couple of hour long videos by the producer about their barrel regimen, if you have nothing else to do. (Looks like they are both basically the same content, havenāt poured through them I admit)
@kaolis@TimW Cool video - Looks like they touch on the barrels pretty early on - neutral french, thatās what I figured. Although in the vintage in the video, they said they also used acacia. Thanks for posting.
Exactly - balance is neutral and second-fill French oak, and we generally sneak a barrel or two of Acacia-wood casks. They bring some honeycomb / white floral notes and freshness.
That 2016 vintage is fantastic! I think we like it even better than the Iron Horse Unoaked Chard. I might be in for 2 cases of this (I definitely would be if this were the 2016 being offered again, but I havenāt tried this 2017).
@TimW Actually, I think the wine in your link was the offer for the ālower endā chard, which was still quite good. 3 years ago, there was an offer for their higher end 2014 Center of Effort Chardonnay. Which was really really good.
Center of Effort Chardonnay - very very good. Same vineyard, select sub-blocks, and then more-selective-than-usual cluster sorting back at the ranch.
Do I have that right, COEWINE?
We noticed some different experiences from bottle to bottle; always good, but sometimes very good. I donāt think it was bottle variation. I think I figured it out on some bottles from the Effort (less fancy) offer: I believe this wine (and itās less-fancy little sibling) shines brighter closer to room-temperature than fridge temperature.
Also, compared to other Cali Chards, this might lean closer to with-food than stand-alone. Lotās of acid I think, but also crazy complexity. Anyone else confirm that? Now, thatās partially where my wife and I are coming from. We prefer Chardonnay (including American) with food, and prefer others (like Pinot Grigio) stand-alone. My wife, especially, likes complexity with food, but simple when quaffing. With these Effort wines, the difference seemed more pronounced. If youāre a sit-there-and-drink-your-Chard kind of person, I suppose youāll love just sitting and drinking this.
If drinking this on itās own, on the back porch on a warm day, many of you will want to give yourself more time, drinking this wine. (And let it warm up a little!)
Iāve already ordered by case, even though Iām currently over-stocked on Chardonnay. It might be another 3 years before this comes back. And with that much acid and craftsmanship, I canāt imagine this is going downhill any time soon. (Anyone have the 2014 lately? Howās it doing?) If I wasnāt already loaded on Chardonnay (which isnāt even our favorite white grape), Iād consider getting 2 of these; the elegant bottle (along with QPR) would make it a great gifting bottle.
I suppose this might not be as good as the 2014. But anywhere close if good enough for me.
EFFORT is a one-year elevage wine, meant to be more immediate and fruit driven. This offering is our top selection from the estate, and you are absolutely correct that this is a wine that can bear cellaring well. Thanks for adding to your collection!
Sorry for the late rattage, today got away from me!
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. Roommate (Chase) went to walk the dog and came back with the very identifiable labrat box. I hadnāt even seen the email, since it was only sent ~4 hours earlier, and that includes time for my buildingās front desk to sort it! Impressive!
Popped it in the wine fridge (set to 54F, yes purists want it colder, but thatās the temp we find we like most wines at) and left it for a couple hours. Opened a bit before dinner to sample. The cork broke in the process of opening, but thankfully didnāt get in the wine (and could have been operator error).
Initial impression- very sharp and bright, more floral, almost like a pinot grigio/sauvignon blanc blend, which Iām way more partial to. Very acidic, no oak at all to us. Chase usually likes chardonnay way more than I do, but I like this one more than he does.
The butteryness came through once it warmed up a bit (20 mins or so). Itās really good, just not a typical chardonnay. No oak what so ever though to our palates. I almost want this as a white sangria with like, peaches and mandarin oranges. Itās buttery and minerally both. We ended up really liking this one once it warmed up, so even though I know the purists will grump, Iād actually suggest serving this only lightly chilled. Went really well with a pork/strawberry spinach salad we had for dinner. Iām not generally as much of a chardonnay person, but I really ended up liking it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2017 Center of Effort Chardonnay - $70 = 31.80%
2017 Center of Effort Chardonnay, Edna Valley
92 Points, Vinous
91 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Specs
Whatās Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
420.00/Case for 12x 2017 Center of Effort Chardonnay, Edna Valley at Center of Effort Winery
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 25 - Thursday, Apr 28
2017 Center of Effort Chardonnay
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Labrat bottle arrived with several days to spare according to Aliceās email, so I figured Iād let it rest a bit before tasting but was too excited not to at least open the box. This was a first to find: a recipe for an asparagus dish packed in, interesting. Didnāt get around to making it (recipe did not call for the wine itself) even though I have read asparagus can subdue hangovers.
Also inside was a bottle of Chardonnay from 2017 ā a pretty elegant looking bottle too, along with a two-page stapled handout with details about the vintage. Didnāt want to taint my initial thoughts on the tasting so I resisted reading on it, as I donāt drink or know much of chardonnays or whites at all for that matter. I did look up the winery and saw itās in southern california, so that did trick me a little into what to expect.
Gave it a good 24 hours then immediately at the end of Friday to close a rough week following spring break, I retrieved the bottle sitting at 64Ā° and opened it up (my casemates opener is getting worn and I had to pull out a box cutter to get past the foil). Sniffed the cork and got pear on the nose. Iād heard of cali chards being oak bombs, but wasnāt getting anything like that. The sun overtakes our kitchen and dining room in the early evening, but I bet even in dim lighting this glass of wine would still be bright and golden colored. Still smelled pear, and some apple.
First taste was pleasantly surprising- no oaky or butteriness to speak of. It did have some body to it, but the fruit stands out. More citrus notes arrive, maybe some floral, lemon? I glance at the notes and see mention of melon, hmm ok I think I get some of that. Pretty good though! My partner and I are typically bold red drinkers but both of us found this quite smooth and approachable. She said she tasted fruit, declared it ānot badā ā neither of us are much for sweet flavors, and she agreed it seemed there was a hint of sweet, but not sweet itself. It made little sense when I said it, but somehow expressed the feeling. Maybe thatās the definition of complexity in flavor.
The long week meant nothing high in effort for dinner, just settled for simple burgers and fries (maybe a little bacon). Pretty sure my last review was a coincidentally similar meal, haha. I suspected chardonnay wouldnāt stand up to it (I donāt think it did), so I tried it with a little aged crumbly cheese and some nuts I had on hand and they worked quite nicely. Any creamy or light dish or salad would pair beautifully I would imagine. We had already done our garlic sautĆ©ed shrimp and creamy pasta earlier in the week or that would have been great.
Seems like the age is right and the quality is there. I would feel confident having this on hand for friends with discerning tastes for white wines. Other than just my own personal preference Iām not sure what could make this better. A solid, smooth Chardonnay without the buttery or oakiness seems like a winner for anyone who enjoys them.
@james
James was nice enough to pass me the bottle on day two. Thank you.
On the nose, lemon, peach, and pineapple.
On the palate, very similar to the nose, but with hints of apple and a sharp tartness that lingered for ~ 30 seconds and then left a round mouthfeel after dissipation. Goat cheese was a bit overpowering, but not offensive. Final Four food did not leave an ideal pairing. Better a little warmer than fridge temp. As James mentioned, not oaky or buttery. Not as bright and lively as the European whites.
Day three was similar. The sharp tartness had slightly mellowed, yet still present. A bit rounder and fuller.
I donāt feel this requires food. Good deal at the case price.
@james Thanks for the rattage and great pics
@chefjess @james I luv it - 2 rats for the price of 1
@WCCWineGirl Hahaha thatās right!
āAging Regimen: 30% new French oak, 15% concrete fermentationāā¦thatās 45%. Maybe I donāt understand how they report this, but math says that 55% is aged somewhere else!
@TimW Probably neutral oak, if I had to guess.
@michaelvella @TimW A couple of hour long videos by the producer about their barrel regimen, if you have nothing else to do. (Looks like they are both basically the same content, havenāt poured through them I admit)
@kaolis Pore not pour, I know, trying to stay ahead of the grammar and spelling policeā¦ha!
@kaolis @TimW Cool video - Looks like they touch on the barrels pretty early on - neutral french, thatās what I figured. Although in the vintage in the video, they said they also used acacia. Thanks for posting.
@michaelvella @TimW
Exactly - balance is neutral and second-fill French oak, and we generally sneak a barrel or two of Acacia-wood casks. They bring some honeycomb / white floral notes and freshness.
The labels are different, but I assume this is the 2017 vintage of this 2016 offering: https://casemates.com/forum/topics/effort-edna-valley-chardonnay
That 2016 vintage is fantastic! I think we like it even better than the Iron Horse Unoaked Chard. I might be in for 2 cases of this (I definitely would be if this were the 2016 being offered again, but I havenāt tried this 2017).
@TimW Actually, I think the wine in your link was the offer for the ālower endā chard, which was still quite good. 3 years ago, there was an offer for their higher end 2014 Center of Effort Chardonnay. Which was really really good.
@wardad ahā¦thanks for the info!
@COEWINE The 2014 offered here a few years ago was super duper. I believe their labelling scheme is:
Do I have that right, COEWINE?
We noticed some different experiences from bottle to bottle; always good, but sometimes very good. I donāt think it was bottle variation. I think I figured it out on some bottles from the Effort (less fancy) offer: I believe this wine (and itās less-fancy little sibling) shines brighter closer to room-temperature than fridge temperature.
Also, compared to other Cali Chards, this might lean closer to with-food than stand-alone. Lotās of acid I think, but also crazy complexity. Anyone else confirm that? Now, thatās partially where my wife and I are coming from. We prefer Chardonnay (including American) with food, and prefer others (like Pinot Grigio) stand-alone. My wife, especially, likes complexity with food, but simple when quaffing. With these Effort wines, the difference seemed more pronounced. If youāre a sit-there-and-drink-your-Chard kind of person, I suppose youāll love just sitting and drinking this.
If drinking this on itās own, on the back porch on a warm day, many of you will want to give yourself more time, drinking this wine. (And let it warm up a little!)
Iāve already ordered by case, even though Iām currently over-stocked on Chardonnay. It might be another 3 years before this comes back. And with that much acid and craftsmanship, I canāt imagine this is going downhill any time soon. (Anyone have the 2014 lately? Howās it doing?) If I wasnāt already loaded on Chardonnay (which isnāt even our favorite white grape), Iād consider getting 2 of these; the elegant bottle (along with QPR) would make it a great gifting bottle.
I suppose this might not be as good as the 2014. But anywhere close if good enough for me.
@wardad Iād agree on that. I love love loved the last COE Chard we got.
@wardad You have the hierarchy correct -
EFFORT is a one-year elevage wine, meant to be more immediate and fruit driven. This offering is our top selection from the estate, and you are absolutely correct that this is a wine that can bear cellaring well. Thanks for adding to your collection!
I ratted the 2014 COE Chardonnay, and it was OUTSTANDING. Concrete fermentation is fantastic, Iām thrilled about this one. Iām getting 2 cases.
/giphy acoustic-dear-relation
Impossible to resist. Already regretting only getting one case instead of two. Love the idea of gifting this wine as well.
Iām in for 2.
generous-obtainable-mass
The only question now is whether I should buy 2 cases!
/giphy rustic-wacky-roof
Sorry for the late rattage, today got away from me!
Well, this was a pleasant surprise. Roommate (Chase) went to walk the dog and came back with the very identifiable labrat box. I hadnāt even seen the email, since it was only sent ~4 hours earlier, and that includes time for my buildingās front desk to sort it! Impressive!
Popped it in the wine fridge (set to 54F, yes purists want it colder, but thatās the temp we find we like most wines at) and left it for a couple hours. Opened a bit before dinner to sample. The cork broke in the process of opening, but thankfully didnāt get in the wine (and could have been operator error).
Initial impression- very sharp and bright, more floral, almost like a pinot grigio/sauvignon blanc blend, which Iām way more partial to. Very acidic, no oak at all to us. Chase usually likes chardonnay way more than I do, but I like this one more than he does.
The butteryness came through once it warmed up a bit (20 mins or so). Itās really good, just not a typical chardonnay. No oak what so ever though to our palates. I almost want this as a white sangria with like, peaches and mandarin oranges. Itās buttery and minerally both. We ended up really liking this one once it warmed up, so even though I know the purists will grump, Iād actually suggest serving this only lightly chilled. Went really well with a pork/strawberry spinach salad we had for dinner. Iām not generally as much of a chardonnay person, but I really ended up liking it.
@Jamileigh17 thank you for the report
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2017 Center of Effort Chardonnay - $70 = 31.80%
/giphy pompous-numerical-chess
Houston Area,
Anyone willing to split a case?
Original fella backed out. Bottles are available.
Any chance we can get shipping to Indiana?? Fingers crossed
Same for Vermont- any way to ship direct to here?
No Georgia either, but I donāt need more.
/giphy satirical-rebellious-bell
Late to the party on this one. Appreciate the rats!
/giphy momentary-novel-gambler