N.V. Laytons Brut Reserve

Tasting note

I cannot imagine that anyone reading these notes has not tasted this wine. If this is the case, then shame on you! While most serious independent expert merchants give up on the Sisyphean task of creating a fabulous own-label Champagne, Jeroboams puts its head down and charges forward. The result is one of the great wines in our country. Forget the High Street and its ‘extra special’, ‘different tasting’, ‘best’ and ‘finest’ versions and stick to this perpetually reliable and downright delicious sparkler. It is a definitive aperitif style, given its freshness and bounce, and you are guaranteed a knowing nod of approval when your guests spot the label, too! -Matthew Jukes

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.