Center Of Effort - Chardonnay Edna Valley 2014 (750ml)

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Price: $32.99

In Mixed Case: $28.04

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Producer	Center Of Effort
Country	United States
Region	California
Subregion	Edna Valley
Varietal	Chardonnay
Vintage	2014
Sku	19831
Size	750ml

This Chardonnay is a great representation of the fresh, pure crispness flavors that are achieved from the Edna Valley estate vineyard. Complex notes of tart citrus, smoke, and marine and sea breeze like nuances give this delicious wine a sense of place. The palate reinforces the fresh character, with bright, precise acidity leading through to a nice long finish.

Our winemaking philosophy at Center of Effort is to honor the natural character of the fruit while bringing an added dimension of artistry to the wine.

There is nothing expedient in our approach. We embrace the detailed, labor-intensive methods that are required to produce the finest wines. We make our wines in small handcrafted lots, always with a gentle touch, and frequently relying on experienced intuition to guide our decisions. For aging, we use only premium French oak barrels that are coopered to our precise specifications.

We also emphasize native fermentations, often favoring the vineyard’s natural yeasts over commercial yeasts. While native fermentations are more challenging, we believe them necessary to achieve the textural depth that is a hallmark of our wines.

Our winemaking operations are led by Mike Sinor and Nathan Carlson, both veteran Edna Valley winemakers with longtime personal connections to the estate.

Mike’s first wine industry job was at the Lawrence estate, now home to Center of Effort. Over the past 15 years, he has dedicated himself to the mastery of Burgundian varietals, earning some of our region’s highest ratings along the way. His continual quest for knowledge has taken him to France several times, where he gained immeasurable insights from some of Burgundy’s top producers. At Center of Effort, Mike guides the stylistic direction of our wines.

Nathan’s winemaking experience in the Edna Valley spans more than 12 years. He has also made Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, Carneros, the Sonoma Coast and Oregon’s Dundee Hills. His work with wine industry technical leaders has forged close ties with winemakers around the world. At Center of Effort, Nathan oversees our winemaking operations and manages the estate.

Mike and Nathan became friends after frequently crossing paths in the Edna Valley. They now come full circle, back to our estate. Their expertise is instrumental in achieving the rigorous standards of quality and artistry that we demand in our wines.

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.

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.

(30% new French oak) Limpid yellow-gold. Meyer lemon, pear nectar and smoky minerals on the fragrant nose, along with hints of honeysuckle and anise that build in the background. Silky, seamless in texture and nicely concentrated, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors complemented by sweet butter and toasty oak flourishes. The floral note comes back on a long, smooth finish that’s sharpened by a jolt of tangy acidity.

A terrific wine, as well as a great value, the 2014 Chardonnay Effort (100% Chardonnay, fermented and aged in French oak and concrete) offers rich, full-flavored notes of buttered peaches, honeysuckle, toasted bread and a touch of white flowers in a medium to full-bodied, textured and layered style. This is a beautiful Edna Valley Chardonnay that will drink nicely for 3-5 years.