It's often said that behind every overnight success, there is 20 years in the making and it is something that Daniel and Adele Le Brun can relate to because this month marks 25 years since they bottled their first edition of Cuvée No 1. For those who are unfamiliar with Cuvée No 1, it is one of the best known sparkling wines in New Zealand made using the traditional method. This is code for sparkling wine that's made the same way as Champagne, only in this case it's made in Marlborough.
Daniel le Brun came to New Zealand in the 1970s from from a Champagne family. He was young, footloose and relatively fancy free, until he fell in love with Adele and Marlborough's climate and decided to stay. The couple founded the first and only winery in New Zealand that is dedicated entirely to making sparkling wines, using traditional winemaking methods that take longer, cost more and result in significantly better bubblies.
The rest, as they say, is history.
This month is a special one for Daniel and Adele as well as for their adult children, Virginie and Remi, who both work with their parents at No 1 Family Estate in Marlborough. Lest this seem like a tribute only to the Le Brun family, there are many wineries in New Zealand right now that have, are or are about to celebrate their first two, three or four decades of production. Many of them have changed ownership while others have remained in family hands, but among the brands celebrating their first generation in winemaking in New Zealand right now, there are wineries such as Felton Road (which celebrated 25 years of life in 2022), Nga Waka in Martinborough (whose winemaker Roger Parkinson is finishing this year after 32 continuous vintages), Palliser Estate (owned by shareholders and now in its 35th vintage - or is it 36?), Forrest Estate in Marlborough (onto its second generation winemaker) and too many others to name right here and now.
It's worth celebrating these milestones in a country whose primary industries have now been joined by an incredibly successful wine industry. And how better to mark that milestone than with a glass or two of bubbles. I know just the wine.
What I've been drinking this week
No 1 Family Estate Cuvée No l RRP $37.99
Chardonnay with bubbles is best known as blanc de blancs (white of whites) and this one has creamy full bodied qualities, accentuated by lees ageing for 18 months (lees are decomposing yeast cells in wine, which impart yeasty aromas, nutty flavours and retain freshness. This is an excellent expression of blanc de blancs with its baked aromas, buttery texture and crisp, fresh, lingering and complex finish. And best of all, it has an accessible price tag.
