NV Armand de Brignac Brut

Tasted out of magnum, the bright silver/straw-colored NV Champagne Gold Brut is a blend of roughly half Pinot Noir, with 40% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier. Fresh and inviting, the nose is springy with aromas of white peach, dewy wet stone, cherry blossom, and bread dough. Medium-bodied and juicy, with a fine mousse and a sweet, citrus-inflected finish, this versatile Champagne would be perfect as an aperitif or for an end-of-night toast. Drink 2024-2030.

Tasted from magnum (the 750-milliliter bottle costs $285), the NV Brut (Gold) opens with lovely matured brioche, toast and ripe fruit flavors. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, with beautifully matured flavors and an elegant creaminess I don't find in the other cuvées, the "Gold" is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier as well as the vintages of 2009, 2010 and 2012. The wine reveals good grip and mineral tension and drinks well as an aperitif or with seafood and fish. Tasted from L09B8, April 2018.

40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier. Base wines 2009, 2010, 2012. Dosage 9 g/l. Launched early 2017. Fine, tight bead. Fresh and very fruity. Exuberant wine that should stand out in a darkened nightclub. Big and bold. Still lots to give. (JR)