Club Swirl December Selections
Beth Ribblett
Part wine club, part discount program, "club swirl" offers a great way to try new and exciting wines from around the world. Benefits include our 2 wines of the month, discounts on all wine purchases and tastings, invitations to special members only tastings, advance email notices on special wines brought into the store and more for only $39.99/month! Memberships applications are available, call 504.304.0635 for more details.
December Selections:
Laetitia Brut Cuvee
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY
Situated in southern San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Grande Valley weather is typically known for cool spring days, followed by a handful of warm days, all leading up to a late April bud break. Mild summers feature many days of light fog resulting in low yields, concentrated fruit and excellent acidity.
ESTATE VINEYARDS
A beautiful panoramic view of Pismo Beach and Avila Bay on California’s Central Coast can be seen from Laetitia’s Estate Vineyards. Only four miles from the ocean, their hillsides receive a thin band of fog in the morning, intense sunshine during the day and coolness in the evening. This microclimate, coupled with extended growing seasons, high acidity and low pH, produces grapes with intense flavor and complexity. The well-drained soils yield small crops of great depth and varietal character.
FERMENTATION, BOTTLING & AGING
The Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc grapes were hand harvested, whole cluster pressed and tank fermented using champagne yeast. The wine is encouraged to undergo malolactic fermentation and then bottled in the springtime, implementing true Méthode Champenoise tradition. They target 24 months en tirage for the Brut Cuvée program. From bottling, to aging, riddling, disgorging and labeling, the sparkling wines are carefully moved, by hand, many times before they are ready to be released.
WINEMAKER DAVE HICKEY’S COMMENTS
A classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, each varietal contributes its own special character to the finished cuvée. The result is a wine that is perfectly celebratory, crisp and suggestive, as only a sparkling wine can be. Warm biscuit dough, ripe apricots and summer cherries all show themselves in this irresistible sparkling wine.
CASES RELEASED 2,500
Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY
Situated in southern San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Grande Valley weather is typically known for cool spring days, followed by a handful of warm days, all leading up to a late April bud break. Mild summers feature many days of light fog resulting in low yields, concentrated fruit and excellent acidity.
ESTATE VINEYARDS
Planted on cool benchlands overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Laetitia’s vineyard has low-yielding, rocky volcanic and limestone soils that produce incredible, concentrated fruit. Planted with a wide selection of Pinot clones, this Estate bottling is a fantastic example of the quality this vineyard produces.
FERMENTATION, BOTTLING & AGING
2007 Estate Pinot Noir has slightly higher acidity. In a true test of the vintage’s merit, this wine did not require fining. Estate Pinot was aged for 11 months in an exclusive selection of French barriques, a combination of Francois Freres and Rousseau; with 30% being new oak.
WINEMAKER DAVE HICKEY’S COMMENTS
Bright fruit aromas offer a perfumed nose of wild raspberry, maraschino cherries, rhubarb and rose petals that yield to a dark & mysterious palate with
framboise, brown sugar, dark chocolate, vanilla smoke and toasted meringue.
December Selections:
Laetitia Brut Cuvee
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEYSituated in southern San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Grande Valley weather is typically known for cool spring days, followed by a handful of warm days, all leading up to a late April bud break. Mild summers feature many days of light fog resulting in low yields, concentrated fruit and excellent acidity.
ESTATE VINEYARDS
A beautiful panoramic view of Pismo Beach and Avila Bay on California’s Central Coast can be seen from Laetitia’s Estate Vineyards. Only four miles from the ocean, their hillsides receive a thin band of fog in the morning, intense sunshine during the day and coolness in the evening. This microclimate, coupled with extended growing seasons, high acidity and low pH, produces grapes with intense flavor and complexity. The well-drained soils yield small crops of great depth and varietal character.
FERMENTATION, BOTTLING & AGING
The Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc grapes were hand harvested, whole cluster pressed and tank fermented using champagne yeast. The wine is encouraged to undergo malolactic fermentation and then bottled in the springtime, implementing true Méthode Champenoise tradition. They target 24 months en tirage for the Brut Cuvée program. From bottling, to aging, riddling, disgorging and labeling, the sparkling wines are carefully moved, by hand, many times before they are ready to be released.
WINEMAKER DAVE HICKEY’S COMMENTS
A classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, each varietal contributes its own special character to the finished cuvée. The result is a wine that is perfectly celebratory, crisp and suggestive, as only a sparkling wine can be. Warm biscuit dough, ripe apricots and summer cherries all show themselves in this irresistible sparkling wine.
CASES RELEASED 2,500
Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY
Situated in southern San Luis Obispo County, Arroyo Grande Valley weather is typically known for cool spring days, followed by a handful of warm days, all leading up to a late April bud break. Mild summers feature many days of light fog resulting in low yields, concentrated fruit and excellent acidity.
ESTATE VINEYARDS
Planted on cool benchlands overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Laetitia’s vineyard has low-yielding, rocky volcanic and limestone soils that produce incredible, concentrated fruit. Planted with a wide selection of Pinot clones, this Estate bottling is a fantastic example of the quality this vineyard produces.
FERMENTATION, BOTTLING & AGING
2007 Estate Pinot Noir has slightly higher acidity. In a true test of the vintage’s merit, this wine did not require fining. Estate Pinot was aged for 11 months in an exclusive selection of French barriques, a combination of Francois Freres and Rousseau; with 30% being new oak.
WINEMAKER DAVE HICKEY’S COMMENTS
Bright fruit aromas offer a perfumed nose of wild raspberry, maraschino cherries, rhubarb and rose petals that yield to a dark & mysterious palate with
framboise, brown sugar, dark chocolate, vanilla smoke and toasted meringue.