No 1 Family Estate Cuvee Virginie Brut 2016

No.1 Family Estate is a boutique winery in Marlborough, exclusively dedicated to producing traditional-method sparkling wines. It was founded in 1997 by Daniel and Adele Le Brun, with a vision to craft world-class ‘Méthode Traditionelle’ wines that could rival the finest Champagnes.

Daniel Le Brun, originally from Champagne, France, comes from a long lineage of winemakers dating back to 1684. Bringing his heritage and expertise to New Zealand, he saw Marlborough’s cool climate and free-draining soils as the ideal environment for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the classic Champagne grape varieties.
No.1 Family Estate quickly gained recognition, producing elegant, complex, and age-worthy sparkling wines. Signature wines like No.1 Cuvée, No.1 Rosé, and No.1 Assemblé showcase the winery’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and family tradition, making it a benchmark for New Zealand sparkling wine.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were hand-harvested and whole-bunch pressed. After cool primary fermentation, base wines were blended and bottled with tirage for secondary fermentation. Aged on lees for 3 years and 9 months before disgorging and dosage for Extra Brut style.