Laetitia Brut Cuvee
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Wilfred
Wong -
The Somm
Journal -
James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
In the glass, this Brut Cuvee showcases gala apple, streams of bubbles and soft melon notes that meet to create this festive sparkling wine comprised of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, respectively. Lemon chiffon and sultry pear framed by freshly baked challah bread come forward on second approach of the house sparkling wine, great for pairing with an apply-celery root slaw or a winery favorite: potato chips.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Over the years, I have enjoyed the Laetitia Brut, but I have often gotten distracted and forgotten about it when I've reached for a fine bubbly. But make no mistake, the Laetitia Brut Cuvée, which showed very well at the 2017 Central Coast Wine Competition, is a top-performing wine and should be on your list of bubblies for any occasion. (Tasted: June 22, 2017, Paso Robles, CA)
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The Somm Journal
The appeal of this blend of 43% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay, and 23% Pinot Blanc starts with its persistent pinpoint perlage and continues through scents of makrut lime leaf, grapefruit ice, and bread smeared with salted butter. Similar flavors join pear leather and Brazil nut, while the clean yet rounded mouthfeel points to the moderate finish
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James Suckling
Aromas of dried lemon peel, sliced almond and custard. Medium-bodied with bright acidity. Sage comes through. Refreshing finish.
Since 1982, the Laetitia Vineyard & Winery has produced elegant wines that champion the exceptional character and diversity of the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA. Originally founded by an established French Champagne house, the Laetitia estate carries on in the longstanding traditions of Burgundy and Champagne with a focus on small-lot Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. Valuing legacy, balance, innovation, and sustainable practices from harvest to glass, the Laetitia team works meticulously from vintage to vintage to ensure that every bottle of Laetitia wine is as expressive as the coastal land from which it originates.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
One of the coolest growing areas in California, the Arroyo Grande Valley runs from the southwest to the northeast, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Central Coast AVA. Situated so that cold Pacific Ocean air and fog is allowed to filter into the valley, Arroyo Grande also has an incredibly long growing season. Bud break occurs in February in most years with flowering in May and harvest in late September; the area is classified as cool Mediterranean.
These weather factors combined with the soil types—continental and marine rocks, greywacke, limestone, shale and volcanic—create wines with great concentration and fresh acidity. The cooler end of the valley is perfect for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and is a good producer of sparkling wines. The warmer, more inland part of the valley is home to some of California’s oldest Zinfandel vines.