N.V. Laytons Brut Reserve

Tasting note

Medium lemon colour, fine mousse. The nose has good richness and depth of toasty fruit, showing elements of lemon zest and brioche. The palate is refreshing yet also quite full, with a long and balanced finish developing nice yeasty notes.

Our thoughts

Originally conceived in the 1980s, Laytons fizz was one of the very first own-label Champagnes. Made by legendary chef de cave Daniel Thibault of Charles Heidsieck, it made quite the splash with the critics, and when Thibault’s passing necessitated a move to Château Burtin, part of the Lanson group, its style remained the same. A minimum three-year bottle age ensures a certain autolytic element, but in a light and refreshing style – reflective of the generous proportion of Chardonnay in the blend – and making for an elegant, easy-drinking, lemon-apple character that is unashamedly the perfect party starter rather than a gastronomic wine – a quaffer with quality.