No.1 Family Estate Cuvee Blanc de Blancs

Pale lemon in colour. A seductive and enticing bouquet of complexity and depth with aromas of lemon and fresh butter brioche, layers of autolysis complexity with a gentle spice, white flowers and mineral backbone. The palate brings hints of vibrancy and a rush of textured mousse envelopes the palate carrying flavours of citrus and white peach, the autolysis of 18 months ensures a fine lees and complexity and is carried by a saline and refreshing acidity on the crisp dry finish.

Daniel Le Brun is French. Is that enough? No; although it explains much, it won’t fill this column space, so we’ll continue. It is quite possible that Daniel Le Brun’s body runs on sparkling wine rather than blood; he was born in Épernay, throbbing heart of the Champagne region, to a family that has been making the stuff now for twelve generations. With that heritage firmly in his back pocket, it is unsurprising that the sole wine style Daniel produces is méthode traditionnelle. Le Brun launched his familyowned business in Marlborough in July 1997, making wines using the same processes perfected over centuries by his champagne-making family back in France. The company is run by winemaker Daniel and his marketer wife Adèle, together with their children, Virginie and Remy. Production is focused on limited edition wines, with meticulous attention to detail applied from the vineyard to the bottle.