Armand de Brignac : Ace of Spades Silver Blanc de Blancs

An elegant, complex and powerful 100% Chardonnay Champagne

The producer

The Armand de Brignac brand brings together the old-world savoir-faire of the Cattier family of winegrowers in Champagne with the distribution power of Moet Hennessy and the vision of musician Shawn Carter (known by his fans as Jay-Z). The Cattier family, today led by Chef de Caves Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son Alexandre Cattier, have been established in the Champagne village of Chigny-les-Roses since 1763. At the turn of the century, they began setting aside some parcels for the production of a new prestige champagne, and in 2006 the first bottle of the Ace of Spades Brut Gold cuvée was released. In 2014, Shawn Carter bought the brand, which had already caught the attention of wine critics around the world. In 2021, he sold a 50% share to Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits branch of LVMH.

The vineyard

Today, around 50% of the fruit in the Armand de Brignac blends comes from the Cattier family’s 80 acres of vineyards, spread across the prestigious crus of Rilly-la-Montagne, Chigny-les-Roses and Ludes in Champagne. The remaining fruit is purchased from trusted local winegrowers. The Cattier family has very strict standard over the cultivation of these vineyards, which are managed with sustainable practices and certified HVE Level 3 for high environmental value.

The wine

The Armande de Brignac Blanc de Blancs was first released in 2008.

The blend

The Armande de Brignac Blanc de Blancs champagne is made with 100% Chardonnay from three vintages.

The winemaking

After a manual harvest, the fruit is pressed at one of the Cattier family’s two wineries. Only the freshest and finest first press juices are selected for this blend. Following at least 3 years of aging on lees in a special section of the family’s underground chalk cellar, they are disgorged with a liqueur de tirage that has been aged for 1 year in French oak barrels, imparting complex notes of toast and vanilla to the finished product. The dosage is 8 grams per liter. The wine continues to age three to six months in the bottle before it is commercialized.

The bottle

This modern-day luxury champagne is housed in very special opaque bottle coated in a layer of metal with a silver shimmer. It is fitted meticulously by hand with a French pewter label and the brand’s signature « Ace of Spades » icon.

The tasting

Color

In the glass, the Blanc de Blancs champagne reveals a pretty pale gold color.

Nose

On the nose, this champagne reveals aromas of ripe pears, along with waves of toasted hazelnuts and freshly baked pastry, especially gingerbread.

Palate

On the palate, the Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs offers plenty of fruit flavors, particularly gooseberries, guava and peaches. Slighly spicy and mineral nuances come through on the finish.

Cellaring

This elegant, complex and powerful champagne can be enjoyed now or aged for another 20 years in the cellar.

Food and wine pairing

A gorgeous champagne with perfect acidity, this Blanc de Blancs will pair nicely with your favorite sashimi or sushi, along with shellfish carpaccio or grilled sea bass.