The prestigious French winery Armand de Brignac just launched a limited edition of only 3,000 bottles of Blanc de Noir, a special champagne made from pinot noir grapes. The company claims it is the most exclusive of their products.
Armand de Brignac winery.
Although the French brand had recently received significant media attention when it was revealed that music producer Jay-Z had purchased part of their shares, the traditional winery has been producing champagne of the highest quality since 1918. This family company is managed by the Cattier family, which has been involved in winemaking since 1763.
Jean-Jacques Cattier is the current director of the winery, which is located in the small village of Chigny les Roses, in France’s Champagne region. With the help of his sons and a team of just 20 employees, Cattier leads one of the most celebrated brands of sparkling wines in the market today.
1. Blending and aging.
2. Blanc de Noir.
3. Armand dr Brignac range of Champagnes.
4. Presentation of Armand de Brignac signature champagnes.
5. Finishing.
To their regular production of three types of champagne—Brut Gold, Rosé, and Blanc de Blanc—made from different strains of selected grapes, the company decided to add a special edition champagne called Blanc de Noir.< This type of sparkling wine uses only pinot noir grapes in its production. The best grapes are selected and carefully harvested and in the villages of Montagne de Reims, Chigny-les-Roses, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzenay, all located in the region of Champagne.
Armand de Brignac’s Blanc de Noir is aged for five years, and its producers describe it as a refined sparkling wine with a light golden color, and great complexity. In the palate, one can detect flavors of blackberry, cassis or blackcurrant, sweet spices, aromas of violets and a refreshing minty finish.
Another feature that distinguishes Armand de Brignac’s products worldwide is their extravagant presentation in bottles featuring metallic textures and bold colors. In the case of Brut Gold, the color of choice is, of course, gold. Metallic pink is used for Rose, and silver for the Blanc de Blanc. For their limited edition, the old winery has kept the distinctive design of its bottles but introduced new textures with dark silver colored metals, such as tin or pewter.
This exclusive line of only 3,000 bottles made its debut on September 7, 2015, in the UK— only in Harrods— while its release in the United States was scheduled for two weeks later. The price suggested by the winery for this exclusive elixir is around $1,000 per bottle. Review some of the best French champagnes here. ■
