What a rare treat it was for me to sample the current releases from Champagne Armand de Brignac, aka “Ace of Spades”, that I had to admit I have never sampled before. This is how it went:
The Stage
The boardroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel was the perfect size for a small group of wine writers, wine store buyers, restauranteurs and sommeliers. The table was set with five engraved tasting glasses, courtesy Armand de Brignac. Winemaker Emilien Boutillat sat in the center. Five metallic bottles, each its own unique glistening color, sat icing in a golden bowl. The lighting was brought up so that we could examine our samples. French bottled water was poured to cleanse our palates. A brunch was set up on the side bar to enjoy after the tasting. Sparkling silver wine buckets would soon be – only slightly – filled with leftovers. But there weren’t many leftovers…
Tasting With Emilien Boutillat
Winemaker Emilien Boutillat grew up in Champagne and worked with some very prestigious wineries in Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile and California before settling back down in France. He works now with the lead winemaking team: Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier.
Boutillat said that Armand de Brignac produces “just a drop” of Champagne compared to others; only producing about 100,000 cases of all of their cuvees combined per year. Everything, including the riddling, is done by hand. What matters most is the soil, climate, the right time for harvest, blending and – only using the first press of juice. They have purchased from the same growers – who are now friends – every year for many years. “There are no tricks,” Boutillat commented, “we let the fruit talk.” All of the cuvees are multi-vintages and blends.
Brut Gold
40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012
The color of pale hay with aromas of green apple, pineapple, cheddar cheese and wet pebbles. On the mouth I got the same flavors, very bright fruit, with the additions of lemon and toast. 99 Eve pts.
Rosé
50% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, 10% Chardonnay
Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012
A beautiful color or rose gold with notes of strawberry, Luxardo cherry and a hint of licorice on the nose followed by flavors of strawberry, limeade, orange zest and a nice long finish. (This was made as a blend, not in the saignée method.) 99 Eve pts.
Blanc de Blancs
100% Chardonnay
Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012
A very pale yellow in color, then a nose of ripe red delicious apple, roasted nuts, lemon-lime and white pepper. On the mouth I got pineapple, white peach, white tea and roasted nuts again. 100 Eve pts.
Blanc De Noirs Assemblage Two
100% Pinot Noir
Multi-vintage: 2008, 2009 and 2010
Pale gold in color and aromas of apricots, cream and yes…what everyone noted: peppermint. On the palate that same peppermint was apparent as well as apricot and peach. Also another incredibly long finish. Welcome to the U.S. my pretty friend! 100 Eve pts. (How could I disagree with Fine Champagne Magazine, and TastingBook.com, that named this the best Blanc De Noirs of the year in 2016?)
Demi Sec
40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier
Multi-vintage: 2009, 2010 and 2012
Straw in color, and a nose of fruit cocktail, cheese corn and Jasmine! In the mouth I was reminded of candied apple and cinnamon toast, and the fruit lingers for another long finish. 98 Eve pts.
About Armand de Brignac
“10th and 11th generation champagne growers, Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son, Alexandre, craft the prestige cuvées of Armand de Brignac. Their dream was to create a champagne of the most exceptional quality, that would represent the best of the best from the region, where their family have grown vines for more than 250 years. A group of just 14 highly skilled people touch a bottle of Champagne Armand de Brignac, from pressing the fruit, to the moment the bottles leave the cellars. Each step of the process is led by the human touch, from handpicking the grapes to polishing each bottle and hand-applying French pewter labels. Without the pressures of volume, the team behind Champagne Armand de Brignac focuses on each small detail, to ensure ultimate quality at every step.”
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Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com