Product Description
Varieties
50% Pinot Noir
40% Pinot Meunier
10% Chardonnay
The Vineyard
This very small production 100% Chardonnay cuvée is crafted from fruit sourced from traditional Chardonnay territory, the Côte des Blancs, and almost half of the blend is from the lauded Montagne de Reims. This unique assemblage delivers both minerality, suppleness, roundness and lightness from the Montagne de Reims terroir, providing even greater potential for aging.
The Cattier family is based in the Montagne de Reims and own 33 hectares of vines across some of the most lauded crus in Champagne, including the villages of Rilly-la-Montagne, Chigny-les-Roses and Ludes.
The fruit selection is guided by the intimate knowledge the Cattier family have of the tapestry of vineyards in Champagne, after working the land for more than 250 years.
The Harvest
Each year they search for the plots that present fruit with the most remarkable character – regardless of cru – from what Mother Nature presented from the season.
Sustainability is a core principle of the Cattier’s vineyard management and their owned lands are certified HVE level 3 – the highest grading from the French government – acknowledging the level of care they give to the environment, to protect it for future generations.
The Cellar
Only including the very first and freshest portion of the cuvée press, in order to produce the very best champagnes possible, is a winemaking signature of Armand de Brignac. This intense selectivity and meticulous attention to detail ensures the juice abounds with vibrant fruit character, soft texture and balanced acidity.
Each bottle of Champagne Armand de Brignac is finished with a unique dosage, which comprises the finest base wine of the harvest, aged for one year in new French Oak. This winemaking touch provides subtle complexity to the finished cuvées, introducing hints of baked pastry, vanilla and toastiness.
Unique to Champagne Armand de Brignac is the blending of a trio of vintages. Each assemblage brings together the unique characters from three distinct harvests, while maintaining a powerful lineage from blend to blend.
Each bottle of Armand de Brignac is coated in metal, finished with the hand application of French pewter labels and polished. Only 20 bottles can be completed per person per hour in the winery, and as a result, no two bottles are the same.
Aging Potential
Drinking beautifully now, or for a champagne with more richness and developed characters, it can be cellared for another 10 to 15 years.
Awards
93 points. – Christelle Guibert, Decanter Magazine, November 2016
92 Points –Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator, May 2016
