Armand de Brignac Champagne or Ace of Spades is the Champagne success story of the last few years. From a new brand it has quickly become the Champagne of choice among high profile music (especially Jay-Z), media and sports personalities. Many cynics thought it was purely presentation but in 2009 reviews from the industry experts have rated the Armand de Brignac Gold as the best Champagne in the world.

You may ask how can a new brand beat all the industry heavyweights such as Krug, Dom Perignon, Cristal, etc. Well its

• Produced in Chigny-les-Roses, France by winemaker and Chateau patriarch Jean-Jacques Cattier, his son Alexandre, and a staff of just eight people. The grapes used are a personal selection of M. Cattier.

• M. Cattier’s family has owned vineyards in Chigny-les-Roses since 1763; he is the 10th generation to work this land.

• Each bottle is crafted entirely by hand – from the picking of the grapes to the hand-riddling process, to the application and polishing of four real pewter labels. Believed to be one of the only entirely hand-crafted Champagnes in the world. There is no production line, no automation, and no modern machinery. Each bottle must be handled by hand due to its special plating and shape.

• The grapes come from Premier and Grand Cru-rated vineyards in the Montagne de Reims, Cote des Blancs, and Vallee de la Marne terroirs. Only a small fraction of the first cuvee pressing is used to ensure maximum quality of the juice.

• The cellars used are considered among the deepest in Champagne, 119 steps underground. This ensures a cool temperature conducive to the slow aging process of AdB.

• Armand de Brignac cuvees are a blend of three distinct vintages from exceptional years. Each is aged a minimum of three years after bottling before degorgement.

• A special liqueur de dosage added after degorgement is aged nine months in oak casks from Burgundy. It is believed to be the only aged dosage used in any Champagne, and imparts a touch of soul and house character to the Champagne.