Powerful tones of ripe red plum and shaved fennel root. This vintage is particularly savory, displaying earthy aromas of new leather, chicory, clove, and vetivert. Complex and long, it will evolve in your glass over the course of an evening.
Vinyard Notes
Our Pinot Noir comes exclusively from the Center of Effort Estate in the western foothills of the Edna Valley, just 4.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The 2017 vintage saw difficult conditions at flowering, resulting in a very small crop of concentrated fruit. Harvest conditions were fairly cooperative, with cool mornings and warm afternoons allowing the fruit to ripen uniformly with no autumn rain events. Entirely hand-harvested during the cool overnight hours and processed immediately upon delivery to the winery in the morning.
Winemaking Notes
Each sub-block was separately hand-harvested, followed by small-lot fermentations with manual daily punchdowns for a balanced extraction of color and flavor. Approximately 15% of the fruit was whole-cluster fermented by native yeast. Aging took place over 11 months in French oak, approximately 30% new, the balance once-filled and neutral. The wine was bottled without fining or sterile filtration in order to retain the most authentic expression of our estate vineyard.
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.
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.
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.
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, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
I received a call this afternoon from my wife announcing the arrival of a labrat bottle. What better way to start off the holidays!
Alice sent me an email last week but no firm date for delivery was given. Our choice for dinner was Buffalo Wild Wings (who wants to cook while beginning preparations for Thanksgiving dinner?) which was not exactly the best pairing for a Pinot Noir.
We popped the cork right off the truck and decanted about an hour before serving at around 58 degrees. Garnet in color, the initial nose was closed and somewhat muted. I’m not sure if it was some form of travel shock, but I really had a hard time picking up anything specific beyond general hints of fruit.
Initial taste was better, with juicy acidity and decent mouthfeel, perhaps a bit on the lighter side. Fruit was also present, with cherry being dominant. Tannins were mild and integrated. It was actually not as bad with the chicken as expected, with the less spicy sauces working better. I definitely see this as a wine that will work with food. Overall, this felt very much like a nice daily drinker. I set aside the remainder of the wine and attended to holiday preparations.
Fast forward a few hours and things have improved. I’m now getting more aromas of cherry and perhaps something like cedar, still light but building. Fruit is also becoming more expressive with cherry and some red berries on the back end. Finish is a good 20 seconds.
I liked this wine more and more as the evening went on. My wife did not have a chance to follow its progress as I did, but also enjoyed it. Initially I expected this to fall in the $10-$13 range on Casemates, but I would up that a bit after my later tasting. I’d love to have some left over for tomorrow, but alas, the bottle is empty!
Having recently purchased a couple of cases of pinot, I’ll likely stay on the sidelines for this. But as the evening comes to a close I’m definitely tempted to push the button. I think this wine has a decent upside, and look forward to hearing impressions from other rats out there.
Thanks to Alice and WD for the chance to be of service. And Happy Thanksgiving to all!
@hscottk, Shipped bottles.
I’m surprised most bottles you pop n pour aren’t all bit by some sort of bottle shock.
I stay away a month at least before I pull the first cork, as hard as it is!
Cheers.
Tk
I was very excited to get the opportunity to be a lab rat again! Any excuse to open a bottle on a Tuesday is great (especially on a short work week).
The bottle arrived about 10 AM this morning and I opened it about 7 PM. I decided to have it after dinner because dinner was very eclectic leftovers. I didn’t decant but poured a glass right away. The first sip (and glass really) was quite muted. There was a hint of fruit but I thought it was much more earthy than expected. I probably wouldn’t have pegged this as a pinot on the first taste.
I do wish I had decanted because this really opened up as the night progressed. The color is much brighter after just a few hours; I’m not a wine expert, just a casual enjoyer and haven’t noticed a change like that before. Also, now I really taste the fruits, the cherries in particular are dominant and much stronger than the earthiness I first noted.
I live in LA and go up to Santa Ynez quite a bit - that’s generally where I get my pinots. This to me was different from what I typically get in that region and I really enjoyed the difference. It felt fuller/heavier than many pinots I’m used to. Not too strong but just more full flavored. This would hold up well with a meal. I’m trying to hold off on the last two glasses so we can taste them tomorrow and see how it transforms after another day.
From Vinous:
91 points. by Josh Raynolds (4/20).
Deep brilliant red. Black raspberry, cherry and a hint of succulent flowers on the expansive nose. Smooth and round on the palate, showing very good depth and energy to the red fruit preserve, bitter chocolate and spicecake flavors. The floral note recurs on a long, supple finish shaped by smoothly integrated tannins.
The WE review:
91 Points. Dark and intense aromas of candied cherry and boysenberry are lifted by pinches of sage, thyme and wood spice on the nose of this bottling. There is a black-raspberry snap to the sip, where more wild chaparral herbs add nuance. MK 5/1/20
2017 Effort Pinot Noir, Edna Valley
91 points ~ Wine Enthusiast & Vinous
90 points ~ Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Vinyard Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$569.61 at Center of Effort for 12x 2017 Effort Pinot Noir, Edna Valley
About The Winery
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, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 14 - Tuesday, Dec 15
Effort Edna Valley Pinot Noir
3 bottles for $54.99 $18.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Effort Edna Valley Pinot Noir
2017 Effort Edna Valley Pinot Noir
I received a call this afternoon from my wife announcing the arrival of a labrat bottle. What better way to start off the holidays!
Alice sent me an email last week but no firm date for delivery was given. Our choice for dinner was Buffalo Wild Wings (who wants to cook while beginning preparations for Thanksgiving dinner?) which was not exactly the best pairing for a Pinot Noir.
We popped the cork right off the truck and decanted about an hour before serving at around 58 degrees. Garnet in color, the initial nose was closed and somewhat muted. I’m not sure if it was some form of travel shock, but I really had a hard time picking up anything specific beyond general hints of fruit.
Initial taste was better, with juicy acidity and decent mouthfeel, perhaps a bit on the lighter side. Fruit was also present, with cherry being dominant. Tannins were mild and integrated. It was actually not as bad with the chicken as expected, with the less spicy sauces working better. I definitely see this as a wine that will work with food. Overall, this felt very much like a nice daily drinker. I set aside the remainder of the wine and attended to holiday preparations.
Fast forward a few hours and things have improved. I’m now getting more aromas of cherry and perhaps something like cedar, still light but building. Fruit is also becoming more expressive with cherry and some red berries on the back end. Finish is a good 20 seconds.
I liked this wine more and more as the evening went on. My wife did not have a chance to follow its progress as I did, but also enjoyed it. Initially I expected this to fall in the $10-$13 range on Casemates, but I would up that a bit after my later tasting. I’d love to have some left over for tomorrow, but alas, the bottle is empty!
Having recently purchased a couple of cases of pinot, I’ll likely stay on the sidelines for this. But as the evening comes to a close I’m definitely tempted to push the button. I think this wine has a decent upside, and look forward to hearing impressions from other rats out there.
Thanks to Alice and WD for the chance to be of service. And Happy Thanksgiving to all!
@hscottk Thank you for the review. Those Buff. wings look delish. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
@hscottk, Shipped bottles.
I’m surprised most bottles you pop n pour aren’t all bit by some sort of bottle shock.
I stay away a month at least before I pull the first cork, as hard as it is!
Cheers.
Tk
@hscottk @wino121 i’ve never agreed with this theory.
@hscottk @Winedavid49 @wino121 I could see it with aged wine, but with a young wine it’s probably a myth.
I was very excited to get the opportunity to be a lab rat again! Any excuse to open a bottle on a Tuesday is great (especially on a short work week).
The bottle arrived about 10 AM this morning and I opened it about 7 PM. I decided to have it after dinner because dinner was very eclectic leftovers. I didn’t decant but poured a glass right away. The first sip (and glass really) was quite muted. There was a hint of fruit but I thought it was much more earthy than expected. I probably wouldn’t have pegged this as a pinot on the first taste.
I do wish I had decanted because this really opened up as the night progressed. The color is much brighter after just a few hours; I’m not a wine expert, just a casual enjoyer and haven’t noticed a change like that before. Also, now I really taste the fruits, the cherries in particular are dominant and much stronger than the earthiness I first noted.
I live in LA and go up to Santa Ynez quite a bit - that’s generally where I get my pinots. This to me was different from what I typically get in that region and I really enjoyed the difference. It felt fuller/heavier than many pinots I’m used to. Not too strong but just more full flavored. This would hold up well with a meal. I’m trying to hold off on the last two glasses so we can taste them tomorrow and see how it transforms after another day.
@reesai Thank you for the review & Happy Thanksgiving
@reesai curious which ones you normally enjoy in the Santa Ynez Valley?
@tercerowines I really enjoy Dierberg. A friend of mine joined their wine club so I’ve had them frequently. I also like Riverbench and Zaca Mesa.
From Vinous:
91 points. by Josh Raynolds (4/20).
Deep brilliant red. Black raspberry, cherry and a hint of succulent flowers on the expansive nose. Smooth and round on the palate, showing very good depth and energy to the red fruit preserve, bitter chocolate and spicecake flavors. The floral note recurs on a long, supple finish shaped by smoothly integrated tannins.
The WE review:
91 Points. Dark and intense aromas of candied cherry and boysenberry are lifted by pinches of sage, thyme and wood spice on the nose of this bottling. There is a black-raspberry snap to the sip, where more wild chaparral herbs add nuance. MK 5/1/20
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.winemag.com/buying-guide/center-of-effort-2017-effort-pinot-noir-edna-valley%3Famp
fwiw
This looks and sounds like a really nice QPR pinot. I would get some if I wasn’t beyond broke and swimming in wine bottles.
@Twich22 Same here. Got enough on the way to drown in.
Any buyers in Central or Southeast Mass looking to sell off a few bottles?
Happy Thanksgiving!!!