Armand de Brignac, Ace of Spades Blanc de Noirs A3

The third and latest Assemblage (hence A3) of this superb Blanc de Noirs, as with all the Brignac range, an amalgam of three vintages, in this instance 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine has had six years on its lees and was disgorged in April this year, its dosage modest at 8 g/l, its provenance including famous Grand Cru villages, Bouzy and Verzenay. This gem boasts a rich burnished gold colour then an immediately seductive nose of tobacco, fig, crème brûlée and cassis; classic Blanc de Noirs red fruit is bolstered by incredible layers of complexity; now we are in an Andalusian orange grove, now on the chalky terraces of the Marne….and so much more. Generous and yet vinous, pure yet incredibly opulent, this is a definitive statement wine and carries the reputation of the house with enormous aplomb.