Armand de Brignac is the Champagne in the gleaming metallic bottle with a pewter ace of spades on the front, which is why most people simply call it Ace of Spades Champagne. Here you will find Brut Gold, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Demi-Sec and the Brut Green, plus magnums and gift sets.
Armand de Brignac: the Ace of Spades Champagne made by the Cattier family
Behind the flashy bottle sits a quiet family of growers. Armand de Brignac is made by the Cattier family in Chigny-les-Roses, a village on the Montagne de Reims, where they have grown vines for thirteen generations. Today Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son Alexandre, the twelfth and thirteenth generations, run the cellar.
The name is older than the wine. The family registered "de Brignac" in the late 1940s or early 1950s, after Jean-Jacques' mother picked it from a novel she was reading. Because a village called Brignac lies outside Champagne, the CIVC asked for a first name to be added, and "Armand" was chosen. The first bottles of Brut Gold were released in 2006.
Jay-Z bought the brand in November 2014, and in February 2021 Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits arm of LVMH that also owns Dom Pérignon, took a 50 percent stake. The Cattier family still makes the wines.
Armand de Brignac cuvées: Brut Gold, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs and Demi-Sec
Every Armand de Brignac cuvée is a blend of three vintages, which gives the house a consistent, rounded style rather than a single-year snapshot.
Brut Gold
The flagship in the gold bottle, typically 40 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Meunier. Expect ripe yellow fruit, brioche and a creamy mousse. It comes as a single bottle, in a wooden box and in magnum.
Rosé
Added to the range in 2008. It typically blends about half Pinot Noir with 40 percent Pinot Meunier and 10 percent Chardonnay, and gets its colour from roughly 12 percent still red wine. Red berries lead, with more weight than the Brut Gold. Look for it in bottle and magnum.
Blanc de Blancs, Demi-Sec and Brut Green
The Blanc de Blancs, also launched in 2008, is pure Chardonnay: citrus, white flowers and fine, precise bubbles. The Demi-Sec followed in 2015 with 34 grams of sugar per litre, a rich and gently sweet style. The Brut Green is the house cuvée in a green bottle.
The bottle, magnums and Armand de Brignac gift sets
Each bottle is finished by hand. The metallic coating is not just for show: it protects the wine from light. The French pewter labels are applied and polished by hand, and the bottles are presented in a lacquered wooden box. Alongside the standard bottle you can choose a magnum of Brut Gold, Rosé or Blanc de Blancs.
For gifting, there are ready-made sets: Les Jumelles pairs Brut Gold with Rosé, Deux Flûtes is a Rosé gift set, and La Collection gathers six cuvées in one case, including the rare Blanc de Noirs made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
How to serve Armand de Brignac Champagne
Serve Armand de Brignac well chilled, at eight to ten degrees. Brut Gold works with oysters, caviar, sushi and lobster, the Rosé with salmon, duck or strawberries, and the Blanc de Blancs with scallops and delicate fish. Save the Demi-Sec for fruit desserts, foie gras or blue cheese. For other great houses, browse our full range of Champagne.
FAQ about Armand de Brignac
Who makes Ace of Spades Champagne?
The Cattier family, growers in Chigny-les-Roses on the Montagne de Reims for thirteen generations.
Who owns Armand de Brignac?
Jay-Z bought the brand in 2014, and since February 2021 Moët Hennessy has owned half of it. The Cattier family continues to make the wine.
Why is it called Ace of Spades?
Every bottle carries a hand-applied pewter label shaped like the ace of spades, and the nickname stuck.
What grapes are in Armand de Brignac Brut Gold?
Typically 40 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Pinot Meunier, blended from three vintages.