In my last couple posts I was doing a series that I’m calling my “Greatest Hits”, a compilation of articles, featuring some of my favorite producers in the world of wine. I’ve been extremely busy with the holiday season lately, and haven’t had the chance to write as many posts as I would like to, but one thing is for sure, no matter how many articles I get around to writing in this series, I’ll be covering some spectacular, not to be missed wines.
Today we’re talking about a winery I had the opportunity to tour earlier this summer in Edna Valley, California. Center of Effort is a producer that knows what they do best and sticks to it. Producing only one Chardonnay and one Pinot Noir, as well as a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir under the side label, “Effort”, the goal here is to focus on making the absolute best single varietal wine possible from the region.
We will be talking about three wines today, Center of Effort’s Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as the more affordable, but just as impressive “Effort” Pinot Noir. Each one of these wines was truly spectacular, showing the result of impeccable, estate grown, single vineyard fruit blended with an artful combination of winemaking techniques.
To me, this is what Edna Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is all about. With the exceptional value of the “Effort” Pinot Noir, the power, grace, and cellarability of the Center of Effort Pinot, and the purity and elegance of Center of Effort’s Chardonnay, there truly is something here for everyone to love about this producer.
Wine #1: Center of Effort 2009 Edna Valley “Effort” Pinot Noir
“Effort” is a blend of three clones of Pinot Noir sourced from three different blocks of the Center of Effort estate vineyard, located just under five miles from the coast. About ten percent of the grapes were whole cluster fermented, adding a richer, more complex flavor profile while maintaining pure, ripe fruit flavors. A combination of fermentation methods, using both native and domesticated yeasts also added further dimension to the final blend. Following fermentation this wine was aged in French oak (twenty percent of it new) for a year and a half, before being bottled unfiltered and unfined.
Chocolate covered cherries, campfire smoke, and forest berry tones introduce this wine’s aroma. Mulberry, plum, blueberry, and acai berry mix with subtle notes of vanilla cream, leather, and kitchen spices.
This wine bursts on the palate with dark red fruit flavors of plums and forest berries. Creamed honey mixes with cinnamon spice and caramel on the edges, with light herbal notes and a subtle hint of blueberries appearing in the background. Rich, plump, and juicy, this wine wells up with fruit, while its lightly dusty tannins provide excellent balance.
Worth Buying. 93 points.
Wine #2: Center of Effort 2009 Edna Valley Pinot Noir
As where “Effort” is designed to be an accessible introduction to Center of Effort, their Pinot Noir under their own label is all about complexity and the ability to capture every essence of their estate vineyard’s terroir. Center of Effort’s Pinot Noir is a blend of numerous small lot fermentations using native yeasts and grapes of various clones from different portions of their vineyard. Like their “Effort” Pinot Noir, this one blends fruit that has been whole cluster fermented with fruit that has been destemmed to create a balance of fruit and complexity. Also like “Effort”, this wine was aged 18 months in new and used French oak barrels prior to bottling.
Incredibly deep and concentrated, this wine’s aroma is a tightly woven tangle of complexity. Showing rich notes of cherries dipped in dark chocolate, kitchen spices, coffee, caramel, and stone, there is a lot going on here.
Opening with dark raspberries, the palate moves to the fresh acidic tang of black plum skin, and unfolds into a core of freshly picked blueberries. Cinnamon and floral tones give additional definition, while a streak of orange peel seems to put this wine’s fresh acidity on a pedestal. Delicious now, this is a hearty wine that will hold up over many years of cellaring.
Worth Trying. 94 points.
Wine #3: Center of Effort 2008 Edna Valley Chardonnay
Without giving to much away before I actually review this wine, Center of Effort’s Chardonnay is one of the most complex, refined, and pure Chardonnays that I have found from the Central Coast, and ranks among some of the best I’ve had from all of California. A combination of things seem to be responsible for this outstanding result. First off, like the other two Center of Effort wines we just discussed, the fruit comes exclusively from the winery’s estate vineyard, but what sets this fruit apart from the rest is that only 4% of the total vineyard yield of Chardonnay made the cut to be included in this blend. 80% of the final blend was fermented with native yeasts, adding complexity, and all of the blend was allowed to complete malo-lactic fermentation, giving the wine a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Three quarters of the blend was fermented in French oak barrels (75% of which were new) while a quarter was fermented in stainless steel, building body and depth while also maintaining bright fruit. Following fermentation, each of the individual fermentation lots remained in oak or stainless steel for a year and a half prior to bottling.
An incredibly layered and multidimensional aroma defines this wine from the very beginning. Perfectly ripe, sliced apples, pears, and peaches drizzled with caramel sauce on top of a bed of airy whipped cream all seem to materialize on top of a firm base note of cold stone.
The palate is remarkably smooth, plush, and soft feeling, showing a distinct creamy richness that artfully presents all the complex flavors of the fruit, rather than covering them up. The flavor profile is a constantly evolving journey for the senses, moving between almost luminously ripe fruit tones of apple and peach to subtle notes of cream and honey, all the while showing a distinct mineral undertone. This is a gorgeous wine, truly a tapestry of beautifully interwoven flavors and textures, and a stunning example of the subtly and harmoniousness possible in artfully crafted Chardonnay. Offering a deliciously hedonistic drinking experience this wine is an absolute steal at the price.
Worth Buying. 95 points.
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The Grapevine: What’s your favorite California Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir?
