Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Champagne NV

Peach, apricot and red berry aromas are followed by crystallised citrus, orange blossom and hints of brioche. The palate is rich with cherries, exotic fruits and a touch of lemon, vanilla and honey. The mouth feel is soft and creamy, with a hint of toastiness, from the unique Armand de Brignac dosage which is aged for one year in French oak barrels.

• Winery: Cattie - Armand de Brignac
  
• Varietal: 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier
  
• Region: Champagne, France
  
• Vintage: NV
  
• Alcohol: 12.5%
  
• Volume: 750ml
  
• Closure: Cork
• Other: Comes with a velvet bag
• Food match: Ideal as an aperitif or pairs perfectly with seared scallops, roasted quail and fresh water fish.
  

Armand de Brignac's Ace of Spades is quite possibly the world's most prestigious non-vintage Champagne and a favourite of rapper Jay-Z. The labels for the bottle are made of real pewter, which is polished and applied by hand.

The first release from Armand de Brignac, the Brut Gold remains the most iconic cuvée in the range. Rich with the old world traditions of champagne blending, it is a trio of vintages from some of the most lauded terroirs in the region, resulting in a prestige cuvée that expresses vibrant fresh fruit character, and layers of complexity.

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Armand de Brignac - The Brand

A brand that needs little introduction – Armand de Brignac, the golden champagne of the elite. Otherwise known as ‘Ace of Spades’.

Armand de Brignac is a brand owned by Champagne producer Cattier. The Cattier family have a rich history as an elite Champagne house and have been family run since 1763. The Cattier cellars are some of the oldest and deepest in Champagne, with three iconic and beautiful styles of architecture residing in the caverns: Gothic, Renaissance, and Roman. Armand de Brignac is aged in an exclusive, gated section of the deepest part of these cellars, 119 steps underground.

Notably, Hip-Hop and Rap legend, Jay-Z has a keen involvement in the Armand de Brignac brand. Investing in the brand, as well as introducing it in his music videos has earned it a place on the wish-list of many stars.

The Crafts People

12th and 13th generation wine growers, Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son, Alexandre, craft the prestige cuvées of Armand de Brignac. Their dream was to create a champagne of the most exceptional quality, that would represent the best of the best from the region, where their family have grown vines for more than 250 years.

A group of just 18 highly skilled people touch a bottle of Champagne Armand de Brignac, from pressing the fruit, to the moment the bottles leave the cellars. Each step of the process is led by the human touch, from handpicking the grapes to polishing each bottle and hand-applying French pewter labels. Without the pressures of volume, the team behind Champagne Armand de Brignac focuses on each small detail, to ensure ultimate quality at every step.

The Vineyards

The Cattier family is based in the Montagne de Reims and own 33 hectares of vines across some of the most lauded crus in Champagne, including the villages of Rilly-la-Montagne, Chigny-les-Roses and Ludes.

The fruit selection is guided by the intimate knowledge the Cattier family have of the tapestry of vineyards in Champagne, after working the land for more than 250 years.

Each year they search for the plots that present fruit with the most remarkable character – regardless of cru – from what Mother Nature presented from the season.

Sustainability is a core principle of the Cattier’s vineyard management and their owned lands are certified HVE level 3 – the highest grading from the French government – acknowledging the level of care they give to the environment, to protect it for future generations.

Winemaking

Only including the very first and freshest portion of the cuvée press, in order to produce the very best champagnes possible, is a winemaking signature of Armand de Brignac. This intense selectivity and meticulous attention to detail ensures the juice abounds with vibrant fruit character, soft texture and balanced acidity.

Each bottle of Champagne Armand de Brignac is finished with a unique dosage, which comprises the finest base wine of the harvest, aged for one year in new French Oak. This winemaking touch provides subtle complexity to the finished cuvées, introducing hints of baked pastry, vanilla and toastiness.

Unique to Champagne Armand de Brignac is the blending of a trio of vintages. Each assemblage brings together the unique characters from three distinct harvests, while maintaining a powerful lineage from blend to blend.

The Bottle

In the 1950s, Nelly Cattier, mother to Jean-Jacques, discovered a character in a novel she was reading, called ‘M. De Brignac’. She found the name noble and registered it for use on a new wine in the future. It was long forgotten, and during the creation of this new tête de cuvée from the house in the early 2000s, Jean-Jacques decided to pay tribute to his mother by adopting this special name.

Each bottle of Armand de Brignac is coated in metal, finished with the hand application of French pewter labels and polished. Only 20 bottles can be completed per person per hour in the winery, and as a result, no two bottles are the same.

• 95/100 Points - Christelle Guibert, Decanter Magazine
  
• 93/100 Points - Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel
  
• 93/100 Points - Stephen Reinhardt, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
  
• 17.5/20 Points - Jancis Robinson