Ace of Spades the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of Champagne

Armand de Brignac, the Champagne brand owned by rapper Jay-Z known as Ace of Spades, is the “Rolls-Royce of Champagne” according to its director.

Gold chrome Rolls Royce Phantom. Credit: Motorward.com

Speaking during a tasting of the range at the Hyatt Regency Churchill hotel in London yesterday, Gerald Loparco, the brand’s director for Europe and Africa said: “When the brand launched in 2006 with a flashy, shiny gold bottle people thought it would be a fad but we’ve proved them wrong.

“A Rolls-Royce is a bold, big, heavy car and it’s one of the best cars in the world. Armand de Brignac is the same, it’s flashy and modern but the juice inside the bottle is very good. You can get from A to B in a Fiat or a Rolls Royce, it all depends how you want to drive.”

Armand de Brignac Brut Gold

Due to the popularity of the flagship Brut Gold, the brand has trademarked its pewter bottle design with the black neck but this hasn’t stopped people from copying it.

“There’s no way we can stop people putting their wine into a gold bottle. We’ve had some producers trying to ride our wave and we get letters about it. You have to protect your brand,” Loparco said.

He reports that demand for the 30-litre Midas bottle size remains strong. “We recently had an order of 10 Midas bottles from a casino in Macau.

“They’re very tricky to produce as the lower part of the bottle is made by a machine and the neck is hand-blown. We fill them up from magnums as you can’t age the wine in that format and we only make them on request,” he said.

While sales are strong in nightclubs, Loparco said the next phase for the brand was to “take it out of the clubs and into the daylight” via high-end retailers and restaurants.

He also revealed that while Jay-Z takes an active role in the development of the company, he has “no interest” in being the face of the brand.

“Jay-Z wants to pass the company on to his grandchildren so he’s in it for the longterm. He’s not involved with the day-to-day making of the Champagne but his ultimate goal is to create an iconic Champagne brand,” he said.

Jean-Jacques Cattier, owner of Champagne Cattier where Armand de Brignac is made, added:

“Jay-Z doesn’t make any of the winemaking decisions but he was involved in the bottle design of the blanc de noirs and decides where the company should go ­– it’s a collaborative effort and he brings his ideas to the table.

“The Champagne industry is so traditional, people didn’t think the brand would succeed when it first came out but they’re coming around to our way of thinking. It’s important to innovate in this industry and I think we’ve helped change the image of Champagne and show a way for the future.”