Armand de Brignac : Demi-Sec

A lively backbone of acidity balances this creamy Champagne, which offers subtle notes of pastry cream and candied ginger. Drink now.

This is the sweetest of the five Champagnes by rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z under the Armand de Brignac Empire brand. It is a well-tuned wine—fruity while maintaining the soft aftertaste of a demi-sec. The balance is impeccable: ripe and full. In its shiny purple bottle with the signature Ace of Spades logo, it is ready to drink.

Pouring a bright straw hue, the NV Champagne Demi-Sec is very pretty and balanced, with a floral bouquet revealing notes of orange blossom, fresh berries, pastry dough, and roses. Medium-bodied, it’s graceful and clean, with a refined mousse, a balanced kiss of sweetness, and a chalky texture, but it never feels cloying. I wish more people embraced this style, as it casts a huge net for incredible pairings from foie gras to goat cheese to nutty deserts. Drink 2023-2033.

The golden-yellow Armand de Brignac NV Demi-Sec offers a nicely pure, fresh and aromatic bouquet of ripe and sweet fruits along with brioche flavors. Precise and fresh on the palate, this is a pretty sweet and fruity yet elegant and precise "prestige cuvée" assembling 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine has good grip and tension and was dosed with 33 grams per liter of sugar. Tasted from lot L107B8 in April 2018.