Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Center of Effort – Rosso Corsa Pinot Noir 2021
Edna Valley, Central Coast, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
The Rosso Corsa (“racing red” in Italian) is Center of Effort’s bold expression of Pinot Noir, sourced from their organically farmed estate vineyards in Edna Valley. Known for its cool climate and marine influence, this AVA delivers Pinot with both freshness and intensity. The name nods to the classic Italian racing heritage, emphasizing speed, energy, and elegance — qualities mirrored in the wine.

Aromas & Flavors
Bursts of dark cherry, ripe strawberry, and pomegranate meet hints of baking spice, cocoa, and dried rose petals. As it opens, layers of earthy forest floor and a faint touch of savory herbs add dimension.

Mouthfeel
Silky yet energetic, medium-bodied with polished tannins and a vibrant acid backbone. The wine flows seamlessly across the palate, balancing plush fruit with savory complexity, finishing long and precise.

Winemaking Notes
Estate-grown fruit, hand-harvested, fermented in small lots with partial whole-cluster for structure and aromatics. Aged in French oak barrels (30–40% new), which imparts subtle vanilla and toast while preserving freshness.

Food Pairing
Versatile and food-friendly — pair with roasted duck breast, grilled salmon, mushroom risotto, or charcuterie with earthy cheeses. Its balance of fruit and savoriness allows it to pivot beautifully from lighter fare to richer dishes.

Verdict
A dynamic Pinot Noir that captures the spirit of Edna Valley with a nod to Italian flair. Sleek, energetic, and finely structured — a wine that feels both luxurious and alive in the glass. — 10 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

Dark scarlet color with a deep center. Notes of black cherry, cola, roses, cassis, some spice and a little wood char. Amazing perfume in the nose. Smooth and silky in the mouth. Lots of drama with this one, and many agreed the 59 was better than the 45, the 61 and 82 Latours beside it. Bravo! — 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2020 vintage. Squarely in the center of the CDP flavors, fruit and structure chart/graph. — 4 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Served blind, I had it as seriously high quality Vosne, like that of CLB. Its perfect prep of a decant for 3 hours and then back into the bottle for 1 hour before serving bypassed the Domaine’s typical smoky reduction and allowed its fruit purity and floral bouquet to take center stage. At this point, it wafts from the glass flaunting a red fruited and fresh violet profile with Vosne-like spices and an elegant, lifted and palate caressing texture. It continued to beautify and expand itself over the course of the night, never shutting down, and showing just how special Madame Tremblay’s wines can be. Chambolle with Vosne flair 👌🏻👌🏻 — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Scarlet tawny with mostly clear rims. Barely translucent in the center. Impactful and exciting nose. Notes of black cherries, blueberries, cracked walnuts, cut Cuban cigar, some dry brush and a little camphor. Smooth in the mouth. The nose is so floral, which makes up for some fading fruit in the finish. I think this bottle was slightly past its peak given the drying fruit posture, but the nose and scents make up for it. — 5 years ago

David D

9.0

Lots of dried roses, thyme, brambly, wild berries, minerals and wet granite, good tannins, touch of black and bell pepper. Not particularly lush or rounded; young-ish with good acidity. From Town Center Wines, Eastham. — 6 years ago

Joe Christenson

9.2

Deep garnet halo and ruby center. Earthy nose with fig and red fruit notes. Still plenty of acid, even after some decanting. It’s a 2018 vintage in 2025, so this can age for several more years. Dark cherry, fig, leather, tobacco, and plenty of tannin balance the rather boisterous acidity. It’s very good now but would be fun to try again in 6-7 years when the acid mellows. — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of Grenache, Syrah & Petite Sirah, very dark Ruby with purple center, aromas of fresh ripe black/blue fruits with floral & spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry with cacao, espresso and vanilla notes with savory chewy tannins, well balanced, long finish ending with fruit and toasty vanilla oak. Nice! Consistent Quality! — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Taken to Hawksmoor in NYC for our uncle’s 75th. Decanted in hotel for 7 hrs before dinner. Dark reddish amber edges with dark tawny color center. Opaque. Great aged Bordeaux nose. Notes of black fruit, tobacco and cigar, cassis, old desk wood, saddle leather, some anise, some barnyard and a little mint. Rich and silky in the mouth. Long finish. The bottle (mid shoulder) wasn’t in as good of condition as the one we had a few weeks ago, but the outcome was similar. Family and the Somm all loved it, as did I. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Dark tawny center with amber color and clear rims. Barely translucent. Massive nose of tobacco and Cuban cigar with notes of sweet black fruit, moist dark soil, unsweetened chocolate, pencil lead, old cedar desk wood and a little barnyard. Great mouth feel and texture. Very much alive. Opened and slow-ox’d for a few hours, then put in a decanter an hour before. This powered up all night. Last sip was the best. I’ve probably had more LB than any other Bordeaux (young and old, mostly old), and this was head and shoulders better than any previous bottle. Great juice! — 4 years ago

Suzanne Spadafora

9.0

Surprisingly delightful with it’s balanced taste. Not very dry and even a hint of sweet at the finish. Not bad since it was at the Washington Convention Center — 4 years ago

Tom Kohli

8.9

My second favorite Pinot Noir — 5 years ago

Javier Garagorri

9.1

Somehow rustic but in a good sense, an intriguing wine that challenges you to keep discovering more and more its nuances. Full of personality and excellent value for money. Ideal entrance to Raúl Pérez universe. — 6 years ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Surprisingly fresh with a really pretty mulberry and black cherry nose. A blackcurrant confit center with hints of oak and a bit of musk. Stop a bit of hidden power but clear and precise. Very good — 2 years ago

with Bex

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2022 Barbera d'Alba is a fabulous wine that marries Barbera fruit richness with a Nebbiolo-like sense of structure. Aging is done entirely in cement. Ripe cherry, plum, lavender, rose petal and blood orange are front and center in this juicy, inviting Barbera. $23.00 (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2024) — 2 years ago

David D

9.0

Young but pretty solid. Tar, baking spice, crushed dried roses and thyme, some anise and a little leather, good red fruit acidity and lots of tannins. From Town Center Wines, Eastham. 04/08/23 — 3 years ago

Ron R

9.5

Single-barrel scarcity makes this a “must try.” It generates a meaningful event and a good disruption on the palate.
Green apples combine with melon and bright acidity - the signature of a typical SB. Moderately sweet. Serve it to those who appreciate uncommon excellence in wine. Approach the winery for this. — 4 years ago

with Anne-marie

Ron R

9.5

First time trying this, and it’s prodigious. Balanced and laser-focused.
All my scores are rolling to the center of the bed at 95. — 5 years ago

with Diana, Joe and 1 other

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2018 Vin Perdu from Amuse Bouche is fabulous. Juicy and wonderfully expressive, the 2018 packs a serious punch while remaining very much medium in body, in the style of these wines. Succulent black cherry, plum, chocolate, lavender, spice and leather are front and center. The 2018 is a joyous, inviting red to drink over the next handful of years. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)
— 5 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.2

From a 375. I bought this one 15 years ago for $12 and I’ve been waiting to open it on a Tuesday night with some take out Chinese. I finally found the night! At first, it was very tight and backward. Huge tannins that I thought would never fade. I figured it was a 2003 that was off center And funky. After 30 minutes it was still tight but the black fruit rose out of the glass and the tannins faded revealing a beautiful claret that was a little hard around the edges but offered immense pleasure. Fun to find something that was laying around so long — 6 years ago