Armand De Brignac

The $100,000 Midas Champagne Bottle

Filed under: Wine

The myth of King Midas, the man who was blessed (and cursed) with the ability to turn anything he touched to gold, has inspired many things but few as lavish as Midas bottle from Armand de Brignac. According to wine bottle naming code, Melchizedek is the term usually used to describe a 30-liter vessel equivalent to 40 regular-sized 750ml bottles but perhaps Midas makes more sense for this bottle which weighs in at 100 pounds.

We've written about Armand de Brignac before. The luxury Champagne from the award-winning Champagne Cattier chateau of Chigny-les-Roses, France is instantly identifiable by the dramatic Ace of Spades insignias on its bottle. In the last few years it has become a celebrity favorite. Armand de Brignac has three cuvees: Brut Gold, Rose and Blanc de Blancs.

The first Midas bottle of Armand de Brignac sold for $100,000 at the XS nightclub in Las Vegas' Encore casino. Mixed martial arts and UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez hosted his UFC 125 after-party joined by fighters Gilbert Melendez, Urijah Faber, Jake Shields, and UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. Two strongmen were needed to carry the bottle to the table of the anonymous high-roller who made the purchase. No word on what happened to the bottle afterward.

Tags: Armand De Brignac, champagne

Jay-Z's Endorsement Boosts Upstart Bubbly

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Champagne sales overall are down but one brand has found that a little celebrity endorsement can go a long way. Armand de Brignac, the brand adopted by Jay-Z, has found great success thanks to the rapper's promotion. Jay-Z was a fan of Cristal until 2006 when Frederic Rouzaud, the managing director of Louis Roderer Cristal was quoted in The Economist calling the namechecking of the Cristal brand in hip-hop songs "unwelcome attention." Jay-Z found the remark racist. He called for a Cristal boycott and switched his allegiance to the new brand Armand de Brignac, part of Cattier Champagne. He featured the distinctive gold bottle with the Ace of Spades logo in his video to his single" Show Me What You Got" in 2006.

Since then the brand has taken off, showing up in celebrity gift bags and becoming a new symbol of extravagant taste. The Independent reports that demand is so high that the winery could sell their 60,000-bottle production run several times over. The brand will reach its maximum production of 82,000 within three years. The Armand de Brignac Cuvees are priced from $300 per bottle and come in three varieties, Champagne Rose, Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and the Brut Gold. Luxist blogger Annie Scott sampled the Brut Gold earlier this year.

Tags: armand de brignac, ArmandDeBrignac, cattier champagne, CattierChampagne, champagne, jay-z

The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We were delighted when Armand de Brignac offered to send us one of their Prestige Cuvees (right).

Priced from $300 per bottle, these decadent champagnes come in three varieties: Champagne Rose, Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and the Brut Gold, which we tried. The bottles include pewter labels, and come in luxurious black cases. These would be an excellent gift for your Valentine; The Brut Gold for him, and the Rose for her (but we hope he or she will share it with you).

If you're not convinced, have a look at our gallery below to experience the excitement of opening the case and tasting the delicious champagne. We paired it with an appetizer of fresh strawberries, sweet pears, and tart apples, and an Organic Ceviche entree with scallops and ahi tuna.

We found the Brut Gold Champagne very delicate and subtle; a rosy scent with green apple and nutmeg. The flavor was not at all grassy, but earthy, with hints of white pepper and a smooth, long pomegranate finish. Because of it's shy complexity, we thought it would be excellently paired with a very mild cheese, and loved the way it was complimented by the pear and, eventually, the ceviche.

About half a glass and we were all saying how much we loved each other. Happy Valentine's Day indeed!

Gallery: The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

For more information and where to buy, visit armanddebrignac.com.

Tags: armand de brignac, blanc de blanc, BlancDeBlanc, brut, champagne, hostess gifts, HostessGifts, rose, rose champagne, RoseChampagne, valentines, valentines day, wine

Armand De Brignac is the New Cristal

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine

After denouncing Cristal, the luxe drink of choice of rap artists for many years, Jay-Z was left with a tough decision as to which champagne could replace it as a sign of opulence in rap/music culture. It appears that the artist has decided to (unofficially) endorse Armand De Brignac now, featuring it in one of his new songs as "gold bottles with the ace of spades." It seems like a good choice based on the bottle alone.

Armand De Brignac has been produced by a family owned vineyard for over two hundred years and has only just started to be imported from France. It is said to have notes of flowers, citrus, dried fruits and brioche.

[via vox / image flickr]

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Tags: Armand De Brignac, ArmandDeBrignac, chanpagne, crystal, gold bottle, jay-z, music, rap, spade, stars