The 2016 Chardonnay has a classic Bourgogne aroma profile - lemon zest, Asian pear, faint fennel frond, and a flinty, struck-stone mineral note. Cointreau and flambéed orange peel come across on the palate, along with a balancing fresh acidity.
Vineyard Notes
Our Chardonnay comes exclusively from the Center of Effort Estate in the western foothills of the Edna Valley, just 4.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Here, the pronounced oceanic influence provides a long, steady growing season, producing Chardonnay fruit with a rare combination of rich flavors and graceful structure. A diversity of marine-derived soils, from fractured shale to fine sandy dunes, bring natural nuance to the wine.
Winemaking Notes
The fruit was hand harvested at night and brought to the winery cold and intact in the early hours of the morning. After gentle pressing, the juice was allowed to ferment with native yeast strains in a selection of cooperage including new and seasoned French oak barrels, Acacia-wood barrels and small egg-shaped concrete fermentors. Each lot underwent full malolactic fermentation to bring textural balance and to temper the high natural acidity of our estate Chardonnay.
Winery Notes
Effort is the companion label to our flagship Center of Effort wines. Each lot of the vintage is crafted in accordance with our vigilant standards of quality, all competing for the crown. However, only a handful of elite lots are ultimately designated for Center of Effort. What remains is our best effort of the vintage. Stylistically, Effort wines exhibit a more approachable, fruit-forward style, bringing diversity and dimension to our portfolio.
ef∙fort n. 1. Exertion of physical or mental power. 2. An achievement, as in literature or art. 3. The force or energy that is applied for the accomplishment of useful purpose.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay, Clone 5
Appellation: Edna Valley
Vineyard: Center of Effort Estate
Primary Fermentation: Predominately native yeasts
ML Fermentation: 100%
Aging: 11 months in French oak barrels, Acacia & concrete vessels
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 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, NE, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I was lucky to be selected as a lab rat for this offering. First, let me say up front that I am not a chardonnay fan in general so I went in to taste this with an open mind but I wasn’t expecting to like it.
But, I did like it!! And so did the others who shared the bottle with me. If you are expecting a buttery, oaky chardonnay this is not it. Instead, this wine showed me a side of chardonnay I didn’t know existed and one that I want to learn more about. So, I am sorry for my ignorance about this grape varietal but thank you Casemates and Center of Effort for expanding my mind and horizons.
To get to the review, the wine is golden yellow in the glass and had a bright citrus aroma with notes of lemon and orange. Upon tasting, this wine is fresh and has a delicious balance of fruitiness and acidity with some minerality in the background and sharper notes of tangerine peel.
@sarahaha Nice review. I always like to hear about someone in CA making more Bourgogne style whites.
If you liked this, try some Chablis from your favorite wine merchant.
I’m probably going to have to try this if it’ll arrive before the 20th.
The 2014 fancy-level Center of Effort Chardonnay offer was fantastic. It’s on a small list of offers I’d get again with no hesitation. I think that was something like $14 a bottle. I’ve had much more expensive Napa Chardonnays that I did not like nearly as much. Maybe it was just our style. IIRC, it was okay and interesting on its own, but excelled with food.
If this is half as good, for this price, it’d be a bargain.
Reviews you say?
Vinous:
90 Points. Raised in a combination of French oak and acacia barrels and concrete eggs. Vivid yellow-gold. Ripe pear, melon and a hint of smoky lees on the deeply perfumed nose, along with sweet butter and fennel nuances. Juicy and nicely concentrated, offering subtly sweet orchard fruit, honeydew and tangerine flavors that are given bite by a bitter lemon zest nuance. Expansive and gently sweet on the nicely persistent finish, which echoes the melon and lees notes. Drinking window 2020-2025. Josh Raynolds. 7/18
Jeb Dunnuck:
90+ Points:
Also from the Edna Valley the 2016 Chardonnay Effort offers a deeper gold color and more honeyed, nutty notes of caramelized orchard fruits and white flowers. It’s rich, textured and layered on the palate. I don’t think its a long term ager, but it should gain some cohesion with 6-12 months of bottle age and drink nicely for 2-3 years. 11/29/18
Wine Enthusiast you say?
89 Points. Meyer lemon rind, wet gravel, lime blossom and a touch of toast show on the nose of this bottling, which is quite restrained. It’s tightly wound and quite grippy on the palate, where clean and crisp flavors of river stone and citrus shine through. MK 8/1/18
Gus Clemens (?) says:
Deep gold color; baked apple, bread, clove on the nose; yellow apple, star fruit, tangerine, buttered peach, almond, spice on the palate.
Dry, approaching off-dry; superb acidity. Medium to full bodied. Very fruit-forward; creamy and round in the mouth after full malolactic fermentation. Aged in once-filled French oak, concrete, acacia to give the oak element some nuance, but you can tell it spent significant time with the wood. The richness and depth of the wine indicates significant time on the lees, too.
Is very smooth, fruit-forward easy drinker with noticeable but restrained butter and oak. A classic California chardonnay from the San Luis Obispo Wine Country on California’s Central Coast. Pair with herb-crusted halibut, baked trout, oily fish, crab, scallops, shrimp, chicken and turkey breast, pork loin, soft and semi-soft cheese, yellow squash, zucchini, peas. 3/3/18
While I will acknowledge that we are not typically Chardonnay or even white wine drinkers, this was a really pleasant surprise.
We drank the bottle over two days and poured at about 50 degrees - a nice refresher for the warm Georgia weather over Labor Day weekend. The wine pours a golden straw color with near-perfect clarity.
The nose was initially a little closed, but after some breathing and particularly on Day 2, it really opened up. Very little oak in the bouquet so the fruit really shines through. We all picked up on lemon, orange, apricot and pear on tasting, but what really stuck us was the freshness. This is not a big buttery, oaky chardonnay - this instead allows the grapes to shine though in a bright, lively way. There is definite minerality on the finish, but it comes across as balanced with a medium-length finish. Shows a little sweetness up front, but finishes dry with some acidity.
We enjoyed the wine with fresh diver scallops about an hour after opening on Day 1. The wine was a great compliment to the sweetness of the seared scallops and the acidity cut through the cream sauce my wife made. All in all, this was a perfect accompaniment to a dinner that we had planned even before getting the LabRat email!
Day 2 the fruit had become even more pronounced with the lemon really shining through. Some of the initial freshness that we picked up on wasn’t as pronounced, yet the wine still really drank well. I don’t think this needs to rest overnight, but don’t worry about it falling off if you don’t finish in a sitting.
Bottom line, this wine really surprised us and will be my first non-sparkling white wine purchase from Casemates. At $9/bottle, I’d say the QPR is off the charts even if you rarely reach for white wine. Solid recommendation!
I don’t like many Chardonnays, because of the oak. I just dislike tasting the wood, and can’t stand the “grippy” or “parched” finish that the tannins cause.
I know some folks love the flavor of oak. I know some like the parched feeling after you have swallowed the wine. But not my cup of tea.
How does this one come across on those two points? Otherwise it sounds like something I would love.
Anyone want to split a case near Boston? 9/128 intersection, to be more precise.
@sarahaha@winstoncharles Thank you both for taking the time to respond and further clarify this for me.
So I am hearing that you can perhaps taste the oak as one of many competing flavors, rather than tasting OAK and, well, maybe there are other flavors there.
And there may be some of that parched/dry mouth at the end, but it is a subtle thing.
We’re not fans of the typical CA chardonnay, but this sounds more closely aligned to Iron Horse unoaked or Pedroncelli lightly oaked Chardonnay…in for a case at this price
/giphy physical-cagey-paper
@cleluvswootwine Perfect giphy for your wine order.
Answer to the question: because another case is coming by UPS today!
(that’s actually true in my case; not sure which one it is)
EDIT upon closer examination, for that guy in the giphy, not sure UPS delivers to boats… probably not.
Love the non-buttery Chardonnays we’ve gotten so far on Casemates, although we have absolutely no room left, especially with the Iron Horse arriving this week. Oh well - guess we’ll have to drink them faster!
Anyone in the greater DC area want to split the case with us?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 EFFORT Edna Valley Chardonnay - $40 = 26.66%
2016 EFFORT Chardonnay, Edna Valley
90 Points ~ Vinous
90+ Points ~ Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Winemaking Notes
Winery Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $288/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 20 - Thursday, Sep 23
EFFORT Edna Valley Chardonnay
4 bottles for $49.99 $12.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 EFFORT Edna Valley Chardonnay
I was lucky to be selected as a lab rat for this offering. First, let me say up front that I am not a chardonnay fan in general so I went in to taste this with an open mind but I wasn’t expecting to like it.
But, I did like it!! And so did the others who shared the bottle with me. If you are expecting a buttery, oaky chardonnay this is not it. Instead, this wine showed me a side of chardonnay I didn’t know existed and one that I want to learn more about. So, I am sorry for my ignorance about this grape varietal but thank you Casemates and Center of Effort for expanding my mind and horizons.
To get to the review, the wine is golden yellow in the glass and had a bright citrus aroma with notes of lemon and orange. Upon tasting, this wine is fresh and has a delicious balance of fruitiness and acidity with some minerality in the background and sharper notes of tangerine peel.
@sarahaha Nice review. I always like to hear about someone in CA making more Bourgogne style whites.
If you liked this, try some Chablis from your favorite wine merchant.
I’m probably going to have to try this if it’ll arrive before the 20th.
@sarahaha Thanks for the rattage and for having an open mind. I’m super picky about my chards and this one may be right up alley.
@WCCWineGirl they don’t let you in on a tasting ahead of time? I’d say you should at least have an option to LabRat yourself whenever you want!
@pmarin @WCCWineGirl I’m sure she could, but then inevitably you’d have somebody yelling “shill” at a positive report.
@klezman @pmarin Ha, if I tasted all these wines I couldn’t get any work done.
The 2014 fancy-level Center of Effort Chardonnay offer was fantastic. It’s on a small list of offers I’d get again with no hesitation. I think that was something like $14 a bottle. I’ve had much more expensive Napa Chardonnays that I did not like nearly as much. Maybe it was just our style. IIRC, it was okay and interesting on its own, but excelled with food.
If this is half as good, for this price, it’d be a bargain.
Reviews you say?
Vinous:
90 Points. Raised in a combination of French oak and acacia barrels and concrete eggs. Vivid yellow-gold. Ripe pear, melon and a hint of smoky lees on the deeply perfumed nose, along with sweet butter and fennel nuances. Juicy and nicely concentrated, offering subtly sweet orchard fruit, honeydew and tangerine flavors that are given bite by a bitter lemon zest nuance. Expansive and gently sweet on the nicely persistent finish, which echoes the melon and lees notes. Drinking window 2020-2025. Josh Raynolds. 7/18
Jeb Dunnuck:
90+ Points:
Also from the Edna Valley the 2016 Chardonnay Effort offers a deeper gold color and more honeyed, nutty notes of caramelized orchard fruits and white flowers. It’s rich, textured and layered on the palate. I don’t think its a long term ager, but it should gain some cohesion with 6-12 months of bottle age and drink nicely for 2-3 years. 11/29/18
Wine Enthusiast you say?
89 Points. Meyer lemon rind, wet gravel, lime blossom and a touch of toast show on the nose of this bottling, which is quite restrained. It’s tightly wound and quite grippy on the palate, where clean and crisp flavors of river stone and citrus shine through. MK 8/1/18
Gus Clemens (?) says:
Deep gold color; baked apple, bread, clove on the nose; yellow apple, star fruit, tangerine, buttered peach, almond, spice on the palate.
Dry, approaching off-dry; superb acidity. Medium to full bodied. Very fruit-forward; creamy and round in the mouth after full malolactic fermentation. Aged in once-filled French oak, concrete, acacia to give the oak element some nuance, but you can tell it spent significant time with the wood. The richness and depth of the wine indicates significant time on the lees, too.
Is very smooth, fruit-forward easy drinker with noticeable but restrained butter and oak. A classic California chardonnay from the San Luis Obispo Wine Country on California’s Central Coast. Pair with herb-crusted halibut, baked trout, oily fish, crab, scallops, shrimp, chicken and turkey breast, pork loin, soft and semi-soft cheese, yellow squash, zucchini, peas. 3/3/18
https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/effort-chardonnay-edna-valley-2016/
fwiw
@kaolis thanks! Always appreciated!!
Ok, second try getting a good gif.
/giphy queasy-unwary-cork
2 cases ordered for thanksgiving gifts.
LabRat #2 Checking in…
While I will acknowledge that we are not typically Chardonnay or even white wine drinkers, this was a really pleasant surprise.
We drank the bottle over two days and poured at about 50 degrees - a nice refresher for the warm Georgia weather over Labor Day weekend. The wine pours a golden straw color with near-perfect clarity.
The nose was initially a little closed, but after some breathing and particularly on Day 2, it really opened up. Very little oak in the bouquet so the fruit really shines through. We all picked up on lemon, orange, apricot and pear on tasting, but what really stuck us was the freshness. This is not a big buttery, oaky chardonnay - this instead allows the grapes to shine though in a bright, lively way. There is definite minerality on the finish, but it comes across as balanced with a medium-length finish. Shows a little sweetness up front, but finishes dry with some acidity.
We enjoyed the wine with fresh diver scallops about an hour after opening on Day 1. The wine was a great compliment to the sweetness of the seared scallops and the acidity cut through the cream sauce my wife made. All in all, this was a perfect accompaniment to a dinner that we had planned even before getting the LabRat email!
Day 2 the fruit had become even more pronounced with the lemon really shining through. Some of the initial freshness that we picked up on wasn’t as pronounced, yet the wine still really drank well. I don’t think this needs to rest overnight, but don’t worry about it falling off if you don’t finish in a sitting.
Bottom line, this wine really surprised us and will be my first non-sparkling white wine purchase from Casemates. At $9/bottle, I’d say the QPR is off the charts even if you rarely reach for white wine. Solid recommendation!
I don’t like many Chardonnays, because of the oak. I just dislike tasting the wood, and can’t stand the “grippy” or “parched” finish that the tannins cause.
I know some folks love the flavor of oak. I know some like the parched feeling after you have swallowed the wine. But not my cup of tea.
How does this one come across on those two points? Otherwise it sounds like something I would love.
Anyone want to split a case near Boston? 9/128 intersection, to be more precise.
@bdb I think the oaky flavor and heavy tannins typically go hand in hand. Can tell you that this wine is pretty light on both.
@bdb @winstoncharles I agree, light on both!
@sarahaha @winstoncharles Thank you both for taking the time to respond and further clarify this for me.
So I am hearing that you can perhaps taste the oak as one of many competing flavors, rather than tasting OAK and, well, maybe there are other flavors there.
And there may be some of that parched/dry mouth at the end, but it is a subtle thing.
Does that sound about right?
@bdb @sarahaha Yes, I think you have it right!
We’re not fans of the typical CA chardonnay, but this sounds more closely aligned to Iron Horse unoaked or Pedroncelli lightly oaked Chardonnay…in for a case at this price
/giphy physical-cagey-paper
@TimW omg LOVING your giphy!
@bunnymasseuse from your forum handle, I’m guessing that you’re a fan of bunnies!
@TimW Consider me a hands-on kinda gal… if you want more fun check out www.FriendsOfRabbits.org where I am the resident bunny masseuse since 1999! : )
@bunnymasseuse You weren’t kidding…appropriate forum handle, then!
@TimW have been the same name since W00t days, figured I would not complicate it and keep my folks who knew me in the loop!
/giphy pessimistic-upset-change
@cleluvswootwine Perfect giphy for your wine order.
Answer to the question: because another case is coming by UPS today!
(that’s actually true in my case; not sure which one it is)
EDIT upon closer examination, for that guy in the giphy, not sure UPS delivers to boats… probably not.
/giphy godlike-tan-screw
No GA, bummer…
Love the non-buttery Chardonnays we’ve gotten so far on Casemates, although we have absolutely no room left, especially with the Iron Horse arriving this week. Oh well - guess we’ll have to drink them faster!
Anyone in the greater DC area want to split the case with us?
/giphy brave-lapping-meeting
@cduan will help!
@bunnymasseuse Fantastic - we’ll let you know when it arrives!
@cduan get your fam up to B’more so we can have a proper brunch!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 EFFORT Edna Valley Chardonnay - $40 = 26.66%
No GA… No SC… Ya’ll are killing us here in the South where it’s actually going to be warm enough to enjoy white wine for another 3 months… BOOOOOOO…
Charlotte, NC: Anyone want to split? Or willing to hang onto a case for me until September 26th? Please email: veronica_dot_vandyke_at_gmail_dot_com
Tempted, but then I saw that there’s no delivery to flyoverland (AKA South Dakota).
I lab ratting done?
@Dougtoow Any questions I can help with? Still have a rat tail on me for another 4 hours.
@Dougtoow @winstoncharles speaking of rat tail, any remaining thoughts to depart? Did you get any previous white offers here you could compare it to?
/giphy gnarly-temporary-ranger
Ugh! I thought this went for another 11 hours. My mistake.
If anyone wants to share a bottle or three with me in greater Boston, send me a message please.