Ace Of Spades Champagne Price, Sizes & Buying Guide – DrinkStack

The actual name of Ace of Spades Champagne is Armand de Brignac and is produced by Champagne Cattier. It has become popularly known as Ace of Spades due to the recognizable design on the bottle.

In 2006 a bottle of Armand de Brignac, a Champagne nicknamed Ace of Spades and new to the US market made an appearance in a metal briefcase in the Jay-Z video “Show Me What You Want”

He rapped about the brand in other tracks and brought bottles of the champagne to events and suddenly a Champagne that no one had heard of was all the rage. Jay-Z purchased the brand in 2014 and Ace of Spades has become one of the most popular brands in the market.

It has a reputation as a party Champagne and is available in a 30-liter ‘Midas’ bottle. This celebrity champagne with a high roller image makes the Ace of Spades an expensive but high-quality product that has received approval from many renowned critics.

A Brief History Armand de Brignac (Ace of Spades)

Armand de Brignac is a prestige Champagne produced by the Cattier family who has a history as an elite Champagne house in the tiny village of Chigny Les Roses. They have owned and cultivated the family vineyards since 1773.

The original “de Brignac” name was registered by the Cattier family (13TH Generation Montagne de Reims Champagne growers) in the late 1940s. Jean-Jacques recalls that it was chosen by his mother who had been reading a novel featuring a character named de Brignac.

It remained dormant for decades until at the turn of the 21st century the Cartier family began to set aside parcels of reserve wines for a new prestige Champagne Project. The first bottles of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold left the cellars in France in 2006.

The original registered name “de Brignac” was changed to Armand de Brignac for the new Champagne. This was required by the French Industry Group Comite’ Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) to avoid confusion with the village of Brignac just outside the Champagne Region.

Industry sources cannot agree whether Jay-Z had a financial stake in Ace of Spades from 2006 when Armand de Brignac Brut Gold was first introduced to the market, but he bought the company outright from Sovereign Brands in 2014. In 2021 he sold a 50% stake to Moet Hennesy the wine and spirits arm of LVMH.

The five Cuvee in the Armand de Brignac use the traditional Champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot MeubRnier.

• Brut Gold is the flagship Cuvee in the Armand de Brignac range with the first bottles being released in 2006. The assemblage comprises 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier.
• Rose’ was first introduced in 2008 and is made from 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 10% Chardonnay. The color is derived by including 12% still red wine from old vines that produce fruit with great flavor intensity.
• Demi-Sec was released for the first time in 2015. The assemblage comprises 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. It is a sweeter style of Champagne with a sugar content of 34g/liter.
• Blanc de Blanc is a single variety of Champagnecomprising  100% Chardonnay fruit and was first released in 2008.
• Blanc de Noirs is a 100% Pinot Noir and is the rarest Cuvee with only 3000 bottles being created for each assemblage. The first bottles went on sale at Harrods in November 2015.

A team of 18 people led by Jean-Jaque and Alexandre Cattier is employed to produce the Armand de Brignac Champagnes. This team is responsible for the whole Champagne-making process from pressing the grapes up to the time the bottles leave the cellars.

Armand de Brignac Champagnes are made in the small village of Rilly-la-Montagne and the grapes are sourced from the Cattier family’s 30 plus hectares of vines and selected growers in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne.

All grapes are picked by hand and then pressed at one of the family-owned wineries situated close to the vineyards. Only the first press of juice known as the Cuvee is used for Champagne production. 4000 Kilos of grapes are pressed at a time.

The very first and freshest portion of the press is transferred into French oak barrels that are placed 30 feet underground and aged for a minimum of one year producing an acidic still wine.

These still wines are uniquely combined to produce the base wine for Armand de Brignac Champagnes. The champagnes rest on lees in the cellars for years before being riddled and disgorged by hand.

Each metalized bottle is finished by hand with the application of the distinctive race OfSpades pewter label, polished, and placed in a wooden lacquered gift box, ensuring that every bottle is unique.

Ace of Spades Champagne Price, Variations, and Sizes

The Armand de Brignac – more commonly known as the Ace of Spades was launched in 2006. In a video by Jay-Z“ Show Me What You Got “ released in October of that year Jay-Z is seen refusing a bottle of Cristal before he accepts the lavish gold  Armand de Brignac bottle presented in a case.

The Champagne was immediately catapulted to fame and its first release quickly sold out. At around $300 it remains one of the most expensive, yet most desired bottles of Champagne in trendy clubs throughout the world.

Unlike Cristal and Dom Perignon it is a non-vintage Cuveecomprising 60% wines of the current vintage and 40% reserve wines from the previous two years. The total production is around 60,000 bottles annually which is relatively small.

In addition to the standard 750ml, the Ace of Spades also comes in 8 larger sizes from the 1.5 liters Magnum through Methuselahs (6liter) to the 30-liter Midas Brut. The Midas was launched in 2011.

Several high-end clubs stock various large bottles of Ace of Spades with prices reaching $200 000 for a bottle of Midas.

Average retail prices for Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne:

Name

Size

Price

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut

750ml

$292

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Brut Rose

750ml

$449

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Demi-Sec

750ml

$366

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Blanc de Blanc

750ml

$612

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Blanc de Noirs

750ml

$943

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut

1.5L

$690

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spade Brut Rose

1.5L

$1000

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut Jeraboam

3L

$2300

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spade Brut Rose Jeraboam

3L

$3500

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut Methuselah

6L

$9888

Armand de Brignac Ace f Spades Gold Brut Nebuchadnezzar

15L

$39500

Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Gold Brut Midas

30L

$65000

There are several recorded cases where astronomical prices were paid for a Midas or 15l bottle of Ace of Spades.

• A 15-liter bottle was purchased for a Dallas Mavericks’Championship Celebration for $90,000
• The Boston Bruins purchased a 30-liter bottle (Midas) for $100,000

Alternatives/Comparisons to Ace of Spades Champagne

Several Top Range Champagnes can be enjoyed as an alternative to Ace of Spades Champagne delivering consistently oxidative-aged Champagne. Listed below are a few examples

• Veuve Clicquot “La Grande Dame” Brut Champagne
• Laurent-Perrier “Grand Siecle” Vintage Brut
• Cristal by Louis Roederer Vintage Brut Champagne
• Dom Perignon by Moet & Chandon Vintage Brut Champagne
• Krug Vintage Brut Champagne

These are all excellent Champagnes. It is advisable to check on Top reviews to determine which Champagne is best suited to your taste and will complement what you will be eating.

How to Drink Ace of Spades

The Cattier Champagne house recommends a serving temperature of 6-8 centigrade. This can be achieved by placing the bottle in the refrigerator overnight or place in an ice bucket for half an hour before opening.

Use a flute or tulip-shaped glass (never a broad-rimmed glass) and ensure that it is no more than two-thirds full.

Make sure that the glass is completely clean with no trace of washing-up products as this will cause the Champagne to lose its effervescence.

Follow the correct etiquette recommended by the Cattier experts by performing the following steps:

Start by looking at the Champagne, then bring the flute up to your nose and breathe in slowly to perceive the scents and aromas.

Finally. take a sip and keep it in your mouth for a few moments to discover the Champagnes personality.

FAQ’s

1. How Long can you keep Ace of Spades Champagne?

A Vintage Champagne that has not been opened and has been stored correctly will keep for 5 to 10 years from the date of purchase. The quality of the Champagne is also a determining factor.

2. How do you Store Ace of Spades Champagne?

• Keep the bottles away from bright light
• Try to store your Champagne in a cool dry place where the temperature is fairly constant.
• The ideal situation is to have a dedicated wine fridge or temperature and humidity-controlled cellar.

Interesting Facts and Myths

The fact that the Rapper Jay-Z owns Ace of Spades Champagne and has featured the Champagne in many of his videos to promote it, has meant that it has become the Champagne to drink in trendy clubs throughout the world.