Armand de Brignac targets ‘high rollers’

Armand de Brignac, the Champagne brand owned by rapper Jay-Z, is targeting high rollers who “don’t care how much money they spend” with its new £650 fizz.

The company has just released a blanc de noirs expression made from Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims exclusively in Harrods priced at £695 a bottle with the ultimate goal of selling it for around £1,000 at high-end London restaurants.

Speaking during a tasting of the range at the Hyatt Regency Churchill hotel in London yesterday, Gerald Loparco, the brand’s director for Europe, Africa & travel retail said: “Limitation is the key to success – if we sold the blanc de noirs for £50 it wouldn’t be spectacular at all.

“We’re going for high rollers who don’t care how much money they spend. I’ve seen the cars parked outside this hotel – there’s a lot of money in London and consumers from the Middle and Far East are a big target as they want to spend their money.”

When quizzed on the eye-wateringly high price tag for the blanc de noirs, Loparco admitted that it was “a lot to ask” consumers to pay for, but added that compared to Krug’s Clos de Mesnil it was “affordable”.

With a production run of just 3,000 bottles, a mere 240 have been allocated to the UK with the entire stock going to Harrods, the idea being to target high-end restaurants with the next release of the fizz after its reputation has been built.

The brand is also due to release a demi-sec with 34g/l of sugar onto the market in similarly small quantities but with a lower price point nearer the £400 mark. Armand de Brignac was bought by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z late last year from Sovereign Brands for an undisclosed sum.

Around 100,000 bottles are produced every year, 80% of which is the flagship Brut Gold, a non-vintage blend of the three Champagne varieties. The brand also makes small amounts of blanc de blancs and rosé in addition to its two new additions – the blanc de noirs and demi-sec, taking its total to five.