Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV “Ace of Spades”

Description

Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, which is more commonly known as the Ace of Spades Champagne for obvious reasons, is presented in its  signature gold bottle with pewter labels and a very smart black lacquer box. It is made by Champagne Cattier, a family-owned Champagne house located in the village of village Chigny-les-Roses in the Montagne de Reims who can trace their wine-growing history back to 1763. The brand is owned by Jay-Z and LVMH.

Ace of Spades Champagne is made from a blend of wines made from grapes sourced from Premier and Grand Cru rated vineyards in three different wine-growing regions in Champagne – the Montagne de Reims, the Cote des Blancs and the Vallee de la Marne. Each region and its terroir brings different characteristics and complexities to the finished blend. Each of the three cuvées that go into the final Ace of Spades Champagne is a blend of wine from three outstanding vintages. Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV a blend blend of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. After blending, the Champagne undergoes Remuage (riddling) which is done by hand on traditional wooden racks in Cattier’s cellars and takes between 30 and 45 days. Following degorgement a small amount of liqueur de dosage (slightly sweetened reserve wine) is added to the blend adding richness and bringing the wines to the desired level of sweetness for Brut. The liqueur de dosage is a little different for this wine – it is aged for at least 9 months in French oak barrels from Champagne and Burgundy – no other Champagne houses currently do this. This brings more complexity and subtle nuances to the wine. The wine is then aged for at least 6 months prior to release. The final dosage is 10.9 g/L.

Champagne Armand de Brignac Brut Gold became an overnight sensation when it was featured in Jay-Z’s music video for “Show Me What You Got” following his public falling out with Champagne Louis Roederer and Cristal. It has since become quite the celebrity go to Champagne with devotees rumoured to include Roger Federer, George Clooney, Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio. It has been rated the Number 1 Champagne in the World in a blind-tasting of 1,000 brands, scored 98 points by Jose Penin (the highest-ever rating for a Champagne) and praised by Jancis Robinson, among many others. Ace of Spades Champagne is available in many sizes up to a 30 Litre bottle called a Midas!