Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 4

Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 4 is a Champagne for buyers who value a clearly defined release. It is made entirely from Pinot Noir, drawing on the 2013, 2014 and 2015 harvests. That three-year assemblage is central to its identity: this is not a single-vintage wine, even though each component year is known. The result is a precise, numbered expression of the grape within a range better known for its broader prestige cuvées. The technical detail makes this edition particularly compelling. Assemblage No. 4 spent seven years in the cellars before a recorded disgorgement on 20 April 2023. Its dosage is listed at 8 grams per litre, and production is recorded as 7,328 numbered bottles. These figures describe this particular assemblage rather than the Blanc de Noirs series as a whole, giving the bottle a stronger individual identity than the name alone might suggest. Behind the striking Armand de Brignac presentation is the Cattier family's long Champagne heritage. Jean-Jacques Cattier and his son Alexandre, the twelfth and thirteenth generations of winegrowers, are responsible for crafting the wines. The family has vineyards in the Montagne de Reims, although the fruit selected for Armand de Brignac is not confined to those holdings. That distinction matters: the character of the brand is modern, but the winemaking work rests with an established Champagne family. Assemblage No. 4 is also worth separating from the other Pinot Noir releases. The numbered Blanc de Noirs wines can differ in their base years, ageing and dosage, so No. 5 should not be treated as merely a newer bottle of the same wine. Likewise, Blanc de Noirs Vintage 2015 is a separate, single-vintage release, not another description of the 2015 component in this assemblage. This is a particularly interesting choice for a collector or enthusiast who wants a defined production edition rather than an interchangeable luxury label. The all-Pinot Noir composition, three specified harvests, extended cellaring and individually numbered run offer concrete reasons to examine this bottle closely. Its attraction lies as much in those deliberate choices as in the prestige of the name on the front.