If you’ve seen a rap video or attended a celebrity birthday celebration at a club over the last six months, or you probably are Recession-free and have several bottles stocked in your refrigerator, none the less you’ve heard of Armand de Brignac or better known as Ace of Spades. Armand de Brignac beat out 999 other champagnes to be ranked the number one by some of the most respected wine critics in a blind tasting for its Armand de Brignac Brut Gold.

Limité was invited to a tasting so that we can see for ourselves what the hype was all about. The tasting not only had Brut Gold, but Rosé and Blanc de Blancs cuvées with food pairings by chef Matt Hoyle. For a staff of only eight people by a family house established in 1763 in Chigny-les-Roses, France using old-world techniques to produce their fine wine, how could they not be number one?.

Each cuvées has it own distinct taste. The Brut Gold has a deliciously fresh and creamy grape taste that offers silky finish. The Brut Gold is pressed from a perfectly blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier wine. The Rosé shares similarities in the traditional complex process in which its created known as assemblage. In the assemblage process, white wine is blended with a small proportion of red wine. This red wine is pressed from the old vines of Pinot Noir grown in Champagne specifically for Rosé Champagne. The Rosé comes a salmon-hued wine color from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier with touch of Chardonnay. Dubbed Champagne’s “Golden Cuvee”, Blanc de Blancs Champagne is the sparkling style’s most rare wine. Because of the great demand for the region prized Chardonnay, less than five percent of Champagne produced is made in the 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs style, and this would have to be my favorite selection of the trio.

You’ve seen the distinct bottle inspired by French fashion designer Andre Courreges, each metallic bottle is crafted entirely by hand, featuring two Aces of Spades insignias and four hand-applied pewter labels. Once the design implementation is completed, it’s now ready to be presented to the customer, who receives their Armand De Brignac bottle in a black wooden case embossed with the Champagne’s royal crest. Each case is lined in velvet and fitted with a engraved nameplate.

We’ll toast to that.