If you are looking for top quality sparkling wine at prices that are within relative reach, here is a great range to choose from for this festive season from the Le Brun family in Marlborough. They celebrated a quarter century in business this year, marking the 25th since Adele and Daniel Le Brun first launched their Cuvée No 1 on Bastille Day on 14 June 1999. 

A quarter century is a great milestone, by any stretch, even if marked during a somewhat tricky year in wine and hospitality in Aotearoa New Zealand. There are many reasons for the slump in the market. There are marked hospitality venue closures in the capital and business across the country is down in general, due to the fall out from the global cost of living crisis, among other complex political factors.

This year has seen significantly lower than usual sales across the board for most beverage retail and hospitality venues. That said, here we are in Aotearoa New Zealand, a country of relative calm where we are fortunate to have the freedom to enjoy great wine and food with friends and family in a world that is far from peaceful.

It has been a privilege to have celebrated the outstanding 25 year milestone with those at No 1 and from afar with the outstanding new releases of their wines. These wines always highlight the diversity of sparkling wine styles, which I find fascinating. They each taste significantly different to the others in the range, revealing the roles that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir play in top quality bubblies. These are the two classic grapes used in the Champagne region. They both bring different attributes to the taste of sparkling wine, along with smaller volumes of the Pinot Meunier grape. 

It has been a tough year for many. The Le Brun family members are no strangers to this. The war stories told at the launch of Reine are a tale of survival during World War II and are marked by the launch of Reine (reviewed below); named in honour of Daniel Le Brun's mother. 

Here are my reviews of the freshest new releases of sparkling wine from No 1 Family Estate. 

Reviews appear is ascending price order.

17.5/20
No 1 Assemblé RRP $36

All credit to the No 1 family (two generations of Le Bruns, along with their employees) who run this outstanding sparkling wine company in Marlborough. This is the entry level sparkling wine and it is a great expression of bubbly with ripe citrus flavours, a ripe and rounded body, a fine bubble, and affordable price tag. Made in the traditional method. 

17.5/20
Cuvée No 1 RRP $40

This is the flagship wine of No 1 Family Estate, if numbers are any measure because its production is prolific and its style is incredibly consistent. Chardonnay is the star and sole player in this wine, making it a blanc de blancs (white of whites - the French name given to bubblies made entirely from white grapes). It is dry, citrusy and creamy in taste with a medium body and fresh style. 

19/20
No 1 Rosé NV RRP $49

No 1 Rosé is a rare good thing as it is made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes which were lightly pressed to extract a light tinge of pink in a wine with toasty richness and a completely dry taste. This was aged for two years on yeast lees in the bottle (on tirage, to use the French méthode traditionelle terminology). The result is a complex, full bodied sparkling wine that consistently delivers exceptional complexity in a dry style with layers of flavour in every sip. This is my favourite of the No 1 stable of sparkling wines. I love its depth and length of flavour.

18.5/20
No 1 Reine Cuvée Reserve RRP $63

Reine is the newest addition to the No 1 range and has great depth of flavour with purity, freshness and elegant acidity from the 50% Chardonnay in the blend, which is balanced by toasty aromas from the 43% Pinot Noir and lightness from the 7% Pinot Meunier. Extended lees ageing of four years gives this wine its full body and its low dosage of 2.8 grams per litre, which makes it dry and savoury in taste. It is named in homage to Daniel Le Brun's mother, Reine Vautrelle Le Brun, who loved flowers, which is echoed on the label of this wine.

18.5/20
No 1 Reserve RRP $84.99

Every year a portion of the wine destined to make No 1 Cuvée (blanc de blancs) is put aside for longer ageing on yeast lees  to create this reserve wine, which lives up to the much used 'reserve' name. Extended time on yeast lees (tirage) for ageing creates depth, character and a fuller bodied expression of Chardonnay that is given lots of tender loving care in bottle. It develops smooth, creamy roundness and savoury nutty notes while retaining freshness thanks to the citrus purity innate to the great Chardonnay grape variety. 

Learn more about No 1 sparkling wines and buy them online here.