Why it matters
The producer
Laetitia began on ocean cooled hillsides in 1982, when Champagne Deutz established Maison Deutz in the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA. The estate adopted the Laetitia name in 1997 and continued making California Central Coast Pinot Noir and sparkling wine.
The current focus is sparkling wine and cool climate Pinot Noir, complemented by Chardonnay and other coastal varieties. Eric Hickey has worked his way from cellar work to head winemaker and leads the winery's sustainability efforts. Laetitia is now owned by Hickey, Ejnar Knudsen, and Jeff Nicholson.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The Arroyo Grande Valley AVA lies on California's Central Coast, with Laetitia's vineyards described as ocean cooled hillsides. Ocean cooling slows ripening, helping grapes retain acidity while developing flavor gradually. That setting suits the estate's focus on sparkling wine and cool climate Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay and other coastal varieties alongside them.
Laetitia's estate exceeds 900 acres and is permanently protected by the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. The land provides habitat for native plants and animals, including birds of prey, deer, foxes, and native wildflowers.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
For sparkling wines, Laetitia hand harvests grapes at a balance of acidity and ripeness, then presses them with traditional French Coquard presses. Two Coquard presses are also used for selected Pinot Noir lots.
The sparkling wines undergo their second fermentation in bottle, followed by extended ageing on lees, riddling, and disgorgement. Lees are spent yeast cells, and time with them can add texture and breadlike depth before the wine is clarified and finished.
Wines to know
The range in view
The still range includes Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir 2021, made entirely from Pinot Noir; Laetitia Estate Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2019, also made entirely from Pinot Noir; and Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2020, made entirely from Chardonnay.
The Whole Cluster bottling uses intact bunches, meaning the stems remain with the grapes during fermentation. The method is described as bringing extra firmness and energy. Laetitia's wider range includes roughly ten Pinot Noir wines differentiated by vineyard source, price, and production volume.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir 2021 is the first bottle to open. It is entirely Pinot Noir and carries the Central Coast appellation listed for the wine. The bottle presents Laetitia's main still wine focus through one grape and one vintage, without the intact bunches used for the 2019 Whole Cluster bottling or the shift to Chardonnay found in the 2020 Estate Chardonnay.