Now… I’m the first to admit the wine isn’t bad and would be a decent buy at $55-$65, but this is ridiculous. What the heck were the other 990 Champagnes these folks tasted??? Am I completely missing something here?
From: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11889848/Armand-de-Brignac-Rated-the-Worlds-1-Champagne
1,000 Champagnes were blind-tasted by the world’s most respected wine critics and sommeliers recently. The results were published in Fine Champagne magazine, the only international publication devoted to Champagne and a renowned authority on the industry.
Each Champagne was rated on a 100-point scale. The process was so strict that, if judges’ assessments were more than four points apart, the Champagne would be tasted again and reassessed.
When the results were weighed, the top 10 included many classic names. The surprise first-place finisher was Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, with a taste score ranking No 1 among the world’s best Champagnes.
The Top 10
- 96p Armand de Brignac Brut Gold
- 95p 2000 Dom Pérignon
- 94p 1998 Mumm Cuvée R. Lalou
- 94p 2002 Roederer Cristal
- 94p 2000 Egerier de Pannier
- 94p 1998 Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
- 93p 1998 Dom Pérignon Rosé
- 93p 1999 Jacquart Blanc de Blancs
- 93p 2002 Roederer Cristal Rosé
- 93p NV Chartogne-Taillet Fiacre.
Of the competition’s results, Fine Champagne editor-in-chief, Pekka Nuikki, said: “Our highest rating went to Armand de Brignac: a fine, smooth and creamy Champagne with underlying power and great mineral freshness. The panel praised the wine for its classic style and perfect drinkability today that doesn’t compromise its ageing capacity. It has everything a truly great Champagne can offer, and the packaging – the distinctive, showy golden ‘ace of spades’ bottle – serves as a brilliant example of Armand de Brignac’s courageous, successful branding.”
This extraordinary recognition crowns a series of accolades accumulated from expert critics, journalists, and wine lovers all over the world.
“To be selected as the best-tasting Champagne in the world is a remarkable achievement, but to receive such an award in a large blind-tasting competition is testimony to the quality of our product,” said Jean-Jacques Cattier, head winemaker of Champagne Armand de Brignac and the estate’s patriarch. “It is a further incentive to continue making the best Champagne in the world for those who are truly passionate about the art of Champagne.”