NV Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs

A reductive style with grapefruit and stony minerality, fresh dough and toasted bread. Medium-bodied and generous on the palate with pinprick bubbles. The savory, chalky finish shows zesty acidity. Drink or hold.

A blend of three vintages of 2015, 2014, and 2013, and pouring a bright straw color, the NV Champagne Blanc De Noir Assemblage Number Four Brut is from bottle number 4,024 of 7,328. Aromatic with notes of shortbread, orange marmalade, crushed stones, and plum, it’s slow to open in the glass and is a bit backward initially, but it becomes much more potent in its personality given some time, revealing licorice and ripe black fruits. Medium to full-bodied, it has broader shoulders on the palate, with a fluffy mousse and a clean, chalky finish. It’s still in a primary stage and will benefit from cellaring another few years. Drink 2025-2040. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged in April of 2023.

Disgorged in April of 2023 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, the NV Assemblage Number Four from Armand de Brignac reveals a spicy bouquet with aromas of fresh bread, pastry, ripe pear, apple and honey. Moderately weighted, satiny and pure, it’s ample and racy with a chalky, penetrating finish. Based on the 2015 vintage, complemented with 12.5% of the 2013 and 2014 vintages, it’s composed of 100% Pinot Noir.