Courtesy of Champagne Armand de Brignac

Once again, hip-hop artist Jay-Z is raising the bar for luxury in the wine industry. Five years after acquiring champagne brand Armand de Brignac, his third assemblage of Blanc de Noirs (A3) was released Sept. 5 with only 3,535 bottles, each priced at $1,000. Nicknamed Ace of Spades, the cuvée champagne was produced by 13th-generation champagne growers, headed by chef de cave Jean-Jacques Cattier, and made with only pinot noir grapes. Using predominantly a vintage from 2012, which is peaking now, Cattier calls it “an extraordinarily gourmet wine,” with aromas such as chocolate and black currant supported by notes of berries, pastry and cherry. He suggests pairing it with foie gras, lamb tagine or roast chicken with cranberry sauce.

Having grown vines for more than 250 years, Jay-Z’s team in France knows what it’s doing. A1 was released in 2015 with fewer than 3,000 bottles, each costing $850. It was named the top blanc de noirs champagne in the world, following a blind tasting of 250 cuvées submitted as part of the 2016 annual rankings by Fine Champagne Magazine and Tastingbook.com. A2 came out in 2017, totaling 2,333 bottles, also priced at $850 each. Revealing notes of peppermint and stone fruit, it received 96 points from Decanter magazine.

Champagne connoisseurs can sip A3 while dining at New York’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, TAK Room and Eleven Madison Park and also at Spago in Beverly Hills. The bottles of bubbly are also sold at Mel and Rose, Wally’s Wine & Spirits and wine.com.