Champagne goes pop as star Jay-Z sells half to LVMH
Champagne has made headlines after rap star and entrepreneur Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter sold a 50% stake in his Armand de Brignac brand to Moët Hennessy, while Louis Roederer has announced new still wines from the region.
Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits arm of luxury group LVMH, will also handle global distribution of the brand, known as ‘Ace of Spades’. Financial details weren’t disclosed.
Armand de Brignac’s ‘entry-level’ Gold Brut retails for about £250 (US$348) to £300 a bottle in the UK.
The Cattier family, of Champagne Cattier, will continue to make Armand de Brignac Champagnes, said a Moët Hennessy spokesperson.
Carter said he was proud to announce the Moët Hennessy deal, which ‘will give Armand de Brignac the commercial power it needs to grow and flourish even further’.
Elsewhere, Cristal producer Louis Roederer is to launch single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay still wines under the Coteaux Champenois appellation. The Hommage à Camille range – a tribute to Camille OlryRoederer, who ran the Champagne house from 1932-1975 – is said to offer ‘a different expression of Champagne terroirs’.
Up first will be the Charmont Pinot Noir 2018 and Volibarts Chardonnay 2018, both 100% varietal wines, named after lieux-dits in Mareuil-surAÿ and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Charmont would retail at about £130 a bottle in the UK, and Volibarts £155, said Roederer-owned distributor Maisons Marques & Domaines.