Armand De Brignac, From Grape To Glass

Essentially, three grape varieties namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier make up the exceptional Armand De Brignac blend. You may know that virtually all the champagne in the world is blended using pretty much these three varieties so what makes Armand De Brignac so special?

The quality of the Chardonnay grapes used in the process of making Armand De Brignac (Ace of Spades) champagne gives it a light, racy effervescence. Chardonnay is a very versatile grape and is beloved for its soft, fruity flavours.

Pinot Noir, a red wine grape and one of the world’s most exquisite and difficult to raise adds strength and boldness to Armand De Brignac and is responsible for the depth of this champagne. Pinot Noir thrives especially in the Burgundy region of France. These grapes come with a huge variety of flavours depending on the region and on their own produce light bodied wine.

Finally, Pinot Meunier, which is a red grape variant of Pinot Noir brings roundness, nuance and fruitiness to the exquisite taste of Armand De Brignac. Pinot Meunier has the benefit of adding a richness and body to Armand De Brignac’s classic formula. Although Pinot Meunier is sometimes used to produce dry and fruity red wines, it is prized for its qualities as an essential building block in the champagne making process.

Champagne is a drink of celebration. The harvest is the most joyful time of any vineyard. This is the time when the grapes that have been selected for Armand De Brignac are finally ready for their transformation into wine. The taste of the harvest is imparted through the 250 million bubbles in each bottle of Armand De Brignac.

In Cattier family’s Chateau, the harvest generally takes place during the first two weeks in September. The grape picking can be done earlier or later in the year depending on the weather. According to French Law, all champagne grapes must be picked by hand. These two weeks are a time of celebration and friendship as the Cattier family’s vineyards are filled with activity as the grapes are harvested. The vendangeoir (where grapes are brought to be selected and weighed) becomes the site of renewed enjoyment. The harvest tradition is complemented by hearty country meals including potee champenoise, assorted vegetables ad blanquettes.

For Armand De Brignac, the grapes are selected from the finest vineyards in La Marne which is the Champagne region’s most historic terroirs. Many commercial champagne producers employ large, valve driven processes but for the making of Armand De Brignac, only traditional champenois Coquart presses are used that ensures a slow and high-quality yield as the hand-sorted grapes are gently pressed. Each bottle is made from only the most exquisite fraction of the juice. Armand De Brignac is classed as a Prestige Cuvee because it is created from only the first pressing of the harvested grapes. This enables this champagne to become more complex and delicate as its ages.

After the grapes are pressed, the chateau’s oenologues, Jean Jacques and Alexandre Cattier, create the signature cuvee blend that embodies the quality and uncompromised individuality of Armand De Brignac. A percentage of the finest harvests stored from prior years is added to the newly harvested juice to ensure consistency between bottlings. Armand De Brignac is crafted in the traditional style, using a blend of vintages to preserve the Chateau’s character and bring the vivacity and excellence of Champagne art to the forefront. Armand De Brignac bridges modern sensibilities with our regal heritage – transporting those who experience it to a time when parts of the Cattier vineyards were owned and tended by King Louis XV’s officers and royalty savoured the best wines made by each chateau.

When the master oenologues have achieved the perfect formula, the wine is bottled by one craftsman using a traditional semi-automatic tool. Although this process results in far fewer bottles, it enables the artisans to ensure that each bottle of Armand De Brignac meets the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship.

After champagne has been bottled and sealed, the bottles are stored in a section of the Cattier cellars designated for its ideal conditions for aging the blend. Descending more than 119 steps underground, the cellars are considered one of the deepest in Champagne and maintain a constant, cool temperature conducive to the slow, natural aging process that enhances the classical character of Armand De Brignac.

After aging for many months in the chalk cellars, the bottles are placed in traditional wooden racks to undergo remuage which is a centuries-old riddling process. During remuage, each vessel is turned slightly by hand each day to sift out sediment which settles in bottle necks. A full month of gradual riddling is necessary to completely and perfectly purify the wine without disturbing its natural aging. Although numerous Champagne houses use mechanical riddling devices, Armand De Brignac is defined by the uncompromised quality that can only be guaranteed by time honoured techniques. After a full month of sifting the wine sediment into the neck, the bottles are then partially frozen and the sediment is ejected in a process called degorgement.

Following remuage and degorgement, the blend of wine is augmented with a special liqueur de dosage, a liqueur made from a secret formula passed down through the family. The liqueur is created from fine can sugar and a blend of the very best still wines from prior harvests, and is aged in oaken casks, which impart subtle accents to the Champagne. This step is especially important in maintaining the unique nature of Armand De Brignac, as no other wine in the world includes the same combination of meticulously-selected wine vintages from The Cattiers’ private terroir.

As part of the finishing process, the bottles are corked and sealed only as quickly as the artisans can operate the traditional sealing press. The ornate, delicate Armand De Brignac bottles must be handled with care and packaged by hand due to the bottles special shape and plating. After the cork and special muselet are added, the black bottle capsule stamped with the Armand De Brignac crest is secured. During the last stage of production, each of the four pewter labels is applied to the bottle by hand and polished by an artisan, making every bottle of the Champagne unique and distinctive. When two bottles are placed side by side, subtle differences can be seen in the fine pewter details, as well as in the tone and texture of the beaten metal and rich gold hues. One thing holds true however, for every bottle of Armand De Brignac – the buttery-soft, creamy and complex Champagne held within.

Armand De Brignac’s unmistakable golden bottle has its roots in the French fashion industry and its reputation for opulence. Originally conceived by the celebrated Andre Courreges fashion house, the striking bottle is decorated at a single site in France’s Cognac region and is fitted with its pewter labels, hand-applied to the surface of the bottle. Each paperless bottle is wrapped in a lush, embroidered velvet bag stitched with the bottle’s insignia. The result is a package that is a pleasure to see, to hold, and to taste. For gifting, Armand De Brignac is arrayed in a handsome black lacquered wooden case, fitted with an engraved tin nameplate, lined in black velvet and embossed with the brand’s royal crest.

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