First taste: Jay-Z’s Armand de Brignac, Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Number Four

There are two firsts for Armand de Brignac’s latest release, the Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Number Four: it is the first time the brand has released a wine after seven years of lees ageing, and it is the first time a wine from the iconic, metal-clad label contains wine from the Aube region.

Scroll down for the tasting note and score for the new Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Number Four

Credibility

‘It is a lifestyle brand, however what is inside the bottle is credible,’ said a spokesperson for Armand de Brignac speaking via video link from the Roc Nation building in Manhattan. The brand, co-owned by rapper and music producer Jay-Z, who announced a 50/50 partnership with luxury powerhouse LVMH in 2021, burst onto the scene in 2006.

Due to its striking packaging, it has become known as the Ace of Spades. The wines are made by long-time Champagne producer Cattier in the village of Chigny-les-Roses. Grapes are sourced primarily from premier and grand cru villages.

An evolution

In 2015, a blanc de noirs was added to the range, which already boasts a blanc de blancs, a rosé and a demi-sec Champagne alongside its flagship wine Brut Gold; all of which are non-vintage wines.

The fourth iteration of the blanc de noirs spent seven years on the lees – the longest ever for Armand de Brignac – and is considered to be an ‘evolution’ for the brand.

The company stated that Assemblage Number Four has a slightly different fruit selection and listed the villages of Chigny-les-Roses, Verzenay, Verzy, Ludes, Rilly-la-Montagne and Mailly – as well as Ville-sur-Arce.

The addition of fruit from this southern satellite of Champagne is a first for the brand. The sub-region is known for its Kimmeridgian limestone soils, a Jurassic formation older than the Cretaceous chalk soils of the Montagne de Reims, and is famed for its Pinot Noir which usually brings rich fruit expression to its wines. ‘The main focus of this blanc de noirs really is minerality and finesse, followed by structure and dark fruit,’ the spokesperson says.

The wine

The Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Number Four was made from 100% Pinot Noir. 75% of the blend is from the warm 2015 vintage, completed by 12.5% each of the cooler 2013 and 2014 vintages. It spent seven years on lees and was disgorged in April 2023 with a dosage of 8g/L. Presented in a pewter-coloured bottle, only 7,328 individually numbered bottles were produced.

In the UK, the new wine will be sold exclusively at Harrods: until the end of the year it will be sold as part of a special six-bottle gift box called La Collection for £6,400. From November, it will be sold as part of a twin pack together with the brand’s flagship wine, Brut Gold, priced at £1,385. The single bottle in a gift box will be available in 2024 for £1,055.

Armand de Brignac’s new Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Number Four:

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