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The wines from No. 1 Family Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand, follow the traditions set over 12 generations by a family of winemakers in Champagne, France.

The New Zealand vineyard was set up in July 1997 by champagne maker Daniel Le Brun, his wife Adele and their children Virginie and Remy. Their first wine, Cuvee No.1, was released in 1999.

No. 1 Family Estate is dedicated to only methodes traditionelle: Cuvée No. 1, a non-vintage blanc de blancs (100% chardonnay), Cuvée Number Eight, a non-vintage blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, Cuvée Virginie, a vintage blend available in only the finest years and the latest release for Christmas 2006: Limited Edition Reserve Cuvee 10, a Pinot Noir Chardonnay blend disgorged after 4 years on lees. All are produced from top- quality, hand-harvested grapes processed through state-of-the-art equipment imported from Champagne.

Production will remain focused on limited edition wines, using only top-quality grapes and paying meticulous attention to detail.

New Zealand methode traditionelle specialist and Champagne-maker, Daniel Le Brun, launched his wholly family-owned wine producing business in July 1999, utilising the same processes perfected by his Champagne-making family in France over the last 12 generations.

The winery has been set up with state of the art processing equipment, imported from Champagne. The company is owned by marketer and Champagne-maker Adele and Daniel Le Brun, and their children Virginie and Remy. Virginie, 25, is a television presenter on “What Now”, and also engaged in marketing wine in Auckland.

This venture is dedicated solely to the production of only methode traditionelle. The three methodes produced at No. 1 Family Estate are Cuvée No. 1, a non-vintage blanc de blancs (100% chardonnay), Cuvée Number Eight, a non-vintage blend, and when appropriate a vintage blend created in only the finest years, namely Cuvée Virginie. Production will remain focused on limited edition wines, using only top-quality grapes and paying meticulous attention to detail.

In the past Daniel has won a record number of awards for methode champenoise and numerous overseas accolades awards, including Trophy for Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine for Cuvée No 1 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in the United Kingdom. Cuvée Number Eight received the Trophy for Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine of the Year Runner-Up from Winestate Wine of the Year Awards, Australia.

Cuvée No. 1 won the 2001 Trophy for Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in the UK. In 2004 it was awarded 5 stars and a TOP FIVE rating by Winestate Magazine.

Cuvée Number Eight was awarded 5 stars, a TOP TEN rating and was the highest-placed New Zealand methode in Cuisine magazine in 2003. It was also awarded 5 stars and a Trophy from Winestate Magazine.

The 1999 Cuvée Virginie was awarded 96 points and was the top scoring NZ methode in Gourmet Traveller Wine Summer 2004. New Zealand master of wine Jane Skilton said Cuvee Virginie was the nearest thing to champagne to come out of New Zealand.

Reserve Cuvee 10 celebrates the first decade of No 1 Family Estate, the multi-award-winning wine venture set up by pioneering champagne-maker, Daniel Le Brun, his wife Adele and their children Virginie and Remy.

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No 1 FAMILY ESTATE SPARKLES AT WINESTATE ‘WINE OF THE YEAR’ AWARDS

No. 1 Family Estate, Marlborough’s leading producer of boutique bubblies has won Sparkling Wine of the Year at the Winestate Wine of the Year Awards.

Proprietor and winemaker, Daniel Le Brun attended the dinner in Adelaide on Thursday night with his daughter, Virginie and son, Remy and received the award for his No.1 Family Estate Cuvee No. 1. This follows the company recently winning the Australian Winewise Trophy for best sparkling wine.

Commenting on the win, Daniel said, “It is very exciting for us to win this award – we are passionate about bubbles and it is a wonderful endorsement to see this wine do so well.”

It was said on the night that New Zealand obviously had the edge when it came to methode traditionelle and that Cuvee No.1 was ‘head and shoulders above the rest’.

Cuvee No. 1 is a non-vintage ‘blanc de blancs’ made from 100% Chardonnay. The grapes are hand-harvested in March each year and whole-bunch pressed in a special Vaselin press that was expressly imported from Champagne, along with the company’s other winemaking equipment.

Following the first fermentation, during spring, the true Champagne art of blending takes place. Cuvee No. 1 is approximately 80% current vintage and 20% previous vintage, to ensure the all-important consistency required in non-vintage wines.

Once bottled, the wine is treated to an addition of yeast and sugar which triggers the second fermentation. This method of ‘bottle fermentation’ is the genuine mark of Champagne and top quality ‘Methode Traditionelle’ wines.

The wine is then matured for two years during which it is gently turned and tilted before the disgorgement process which removes the build up of sediment resting in the neck of the bottle.

The only New Zealand winery to specialise exclusively in the production of method traditionelle, the Le Brun family excel at their passion, as revealed by this award.

New RESERVE CUVEE 10 released

A small amount of Reserve Cuvee 10 was released in November, just in time for Christmas.

This Limited Edition wine is a blend of Pinot Noir (20%) and Chardonnay (80%). A non-vintage, it has spent 4 years on lees, allowing full yeast autolysis to create a generous, rich, creamy and full-bodied wine, a style which became synonymous with our winemaker over the last two decades.

The wine is almost all sold out, most of it going to our top restaurant clients and fine wine retailers and the balance to the USA.

No 1 WINS TROPHY

Cuvee No 1, made by winemaker Daniel Le Brun at No 1 Family Estate, has just taken top honours at the Winewise Small Vigneron Awards this month in Australia.

No 1, a non-vintage blanc de blancs (100% Chardonnay), edged out 24 other Sparklings in its class, plus 8 Red Sparklings, to win the Trophy for best Sparkling Wine.

This wine has always been consistently awarded in this competition, often being placed amongst the top wines. This year the judges reported that standards were higher than ever before. Trophy winners across all other wine sections were from Australia.

Judges comments on the No 1 were: “Rich and complex, with attractive toasty notes to the bouquet. The palate is impressively long and creamy.”

TOP BUBBLES IN DISH!

“No 1 Family – Cuvee No 1 NV Blanc de Blancs
This is still my favourite Kiwi Methode…. Monsieur Le Brun seems to have upped the ante slightly too, with the current Cuvee No 1 the best yet.” Matthew Deller, Dish August – September 2007

(November 2006)
No 1 Family Estate launches new bubbly for Christmas

A new Limited Edition methode traditionelle wine, a Reserve Cuvee, is being released by No 1 Family Estate to certain key outlets in time to take advantage of Christmas trading.

Reserve Cuvee celebrates the first decade of No 1 Family Estate, the multi-award-winning wine venture set up by pioneering champagne-maker, Daniel Le Brun, his wife Adele and their children Virginie and Remy.

Originally timed for release early next year, the availability of the Reserve Methode was brought forward to help cater for the increased demand for No 1 Family Estate bubbles.

This Limited Edition wine is a blend of Pinot Noir (55%) and Chardonnay (45%). A non-vintage, it has spent 4 years on lees, allowing full yeast autolysis to create a generous, rich, creamy and full-bodied wine, a style which became synonymous with our winemaker over the last two decades.

(October 2006)
No 1 Family Estate adds crowning touch to bubbles

In the same pioneering spirit that saw No 1 Family Estate owner Daniel Le Brun bring bubbles to Marlborough, the winemaker has now launched New Zealand’s first crown sealed methode traditional wine.

The limited edition crown seal release, using No 1 Family Estate’s award-winning Cuvée Number Eight was uncapped today (October 4) at a special launch luncheon at Mollies restaurant in Auckland, attended by some of the country’s top wine writers.

No 1 Family Estate co-owner and marketing manager Adele Le Brun said the wine was still the same carefully produced Cuvée Number Eight blend but with the added advantage of easy opening. She said the company’s other wines – Cuvée N?1 and Cuvée Virginie – would remain under cork.

Producing Cuvée Number Eight under crown seal is an exclusive venture between No 1 Family Estate and Auckland’s Fine Wine Delivery Company.

The idea originated from the wine company whose proprietor and managing director Jeff Poole said he’d seen, tasted and been impressed with methode traditional wines produced under crown seal in Australia. He felt the same could be achieved in New Zealand.
“Cuvée Number Eight is an excellent wine and this is a great initiative,” he said.

Mr Poole said the Fine Wine Delivery Company tasted about 4500 wines annually, including dozens of methode traditional wines and Champagnes, of which a percentage were spoilt by cork taint.
Those he tried under crown seal in Australia had all the style, quality and characteristics of beautifully aged Champagne with an added freshness he attributed to being sealed after recent disgorgement.

“The crown seal allows lees development yet leaves the bubbles with a gorgeous freshness.”

The crown seal made Cuvée Number Eight ideal for weddings and other functions where a high quality, reasonably priced methode traditional wine was the order of the day, he added.

His company has previously marketed a sparkling shiraz under crown seals and he said it was “snapped up”.

“Quality doesn’t suffer and I genuinely believe wine under crown seal will last longer than you or I,” Mr Poole said.

Mrs Le Brun said using crown seals was not something No 1 Family Estate would have thought of doing because co-owner and winemaker Daniel le Brun was very much a traditional champenois.
However, she added, having been in the New Zealand wine industry since 1980, he realised innovation and flexibility were part of the New World wine industry.