Laetitia is a high-quality producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, sparkling wine, and Rhone-variety red wines in the Arroyo Grande AVA of southern San Luis Obispo County. The vineyard was established under the name Maison Deutz in the early 1980s by Deutz of Champagne and Californian partners. The focus then was solely traditional method, sparkling wine.

In 1998, Selim Zilkha, a wind-energy tycoon, bought the land and winery. He maintained continuity by retaining Dave Hickey who had been in charge of winemaking and production for Maison Deutz since 1985. Today, he remains in charge of production and sparkling winemaking. Zilkha also hired Dave’s son, Eric Hickey, who had been helping out at the vineyard since 1988. Eric has been head winemaker and GM (now president) since 2000.

Another tie to tradition are the two Coquard presses which Laetitia still uses. They are the only ones in North America. These shallow, but very wide, basket presses are important to Champagne production as they allow lighter pressure to be used and also strive to reduce oxidation by shortening the juice’s path.

The 600+ acre Laetitia estate vineyard lies within a part of Arroyo Grande that offers two different climate zones. The relatively low-lying western portion is close to the Pacific Ocean. That moderates daytime temperatures and brings cold breezes in the late afternoon. Later, fog sweeps in and remains through much of the morning. This is ideal for the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines.

The eastern part is higher in elevation and features rolling hills, some of which block the winds. Vines there also get more sun exposure, but less fog. Those plots are very good for Syrah and Grenache.

2016 Laetitia Pinot Noir Whole Cluster, Arroyo Grande 90 14.4 750ml $42

This dark rub-colored Pinot Noir opens attractively with aromas of black cherry, spice and oak. With time, notes of tarragon and earth reveal themselves too. The palate is medium-plus in body and gently mouthwatering with soft, fine-grained texture which coats the mouth nicely. The long, rich flavors include black cherry, orange, tarragon, and spice. A very nice wine which improves with air, it will be at its best from 2020 to 2026.

Copyright Fred Swan 2018. Photos courtesy of Laetitia. All rights reserved.