ARMAND DE BRIGNAC ACE BRUT 750ML

This is a three-way assemblage: three grape varieties – and equal percentage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with 20% of Pinot Meunier – and a blend of 3 vintages, 2009, 2010 and 2012. The nose is full of flavours and rich with notes of white flowers and crème patissière. However, the palate is crisp, fresh and delicate with a lovely creamy texture. It is elegant, refined and very stylish (unlike the bottle!). It’s a pleasant combination of power and concentration blended with finesse and elegance. While the dosage is 9g/l, it feels much drier, more like a 5g/l and this probably due to the spinal cord of acidity.

Tasted from magnum, the NV Brut (Gold) opens with lovely matured brioche, toast and ripe fruit flavors. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, with beautifully matured flavors and an elegant creaminess I don't find in the other cuvées, the "Gold" is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine reveals good grip and mineral tension and drinks well as an aperitif or with seafood and fish.

An elegant, creamy Champagne, with pretty apple blossom and spice notes leading to finely meshed flavors of ripe white cherry, whole-grain toast and spun honey, framed by fresh, citrusy acidity. Drink now through 2021.

A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, this ripe, well-balanced wine has some toast that adds complexity and richness to the apple and lemon fruit, indicating a mature bottling. The wine in a gold-foil bottle is one of five made by the Cattier house for rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z's Armand de Brignac Empire brand with the “Ace of Spades” logo.

A medium straw color, the NV Champagne Gold Brut is mostly Pinot Noir with 40% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier, and in this release, the base is from the 2018 vintage. Forward with notes of orange and citrus blossoms as well as fresh bread dough, it’s medium-bodied on the palate and offers a leaner style.