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… Read More