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LVMH buys 50 percent of Jay-Z owned champagne brand
LVMH, the world's biggest luxury goods company, said on Monday it had agreed to buy 50 percent of Armand de Brignac, the champagne brand owned by rapper Jay-Z.
The company said the purchase -- for an undisclosed sum and made through its Moet Hennessy drinks division -- also involved a distribution deal and would kick off a partnership reflecting a "shared vision" between the singer and the company.
Jay-Z's champagne brand, known informally as Ace of Spades, had been "a fantastic success", Moet Hennessy CEO Philippe Schaus said in a joint statement with Jay-Z.
"Armand de Brignac breaks barriers and reflects contemporary luxury, while preserving the traditions of the Champagne terroirs," he said.
Jay-Z, quoted in the statement, said "it is a partnership that has felt familiar the entire time", adding he was confident that "the sheer power of the Moet Hennessy global distribution framework, its unparalleled portfolio strength and its long-established track record of excellence in developing luxury brands will give Armand de Brignac the commercial power it needs to grow and flourish even further".
JAY-Z TRADEMARKS ‘THE TWINS’ ARMAND DE BRIGNAC LABEL
The rapper applied for the trademark to the phrase “Les Jumelles d’Armand de Brignac” or “the twins” in November 2017 on behalf of Ace of Spades Holdings, LLC, with the application stating that the mark “does not identify a particular living individual”.
However the reference is almost certainly in relation to twins Sir and Rumi, who Carter and wife Beyonce welcomed into the world in June of last year.
It follows another trademark application by the mogul for ‘Hovino’ for use in the hospitality sector, suggesting that he may be about to enter the restaurant business.
Jay-Z applied for the Hovino trademark in October 2017 for use in “restaurant and café services; carry-out restaurant services; restaurant services; self-service restaurants; cafes; café-restaurants; catering; serving food and drinks; take-out restaurant services; bar services, pubs; cocktail lounges; wine bars.”
The rapper made the application through his S. Carter Enterprises company, with it being one of eight applications for the mark, which could see the ‘Hovino’ brand also applied across the jewellery, cosmetic and fashion sectors.
The couple had previously tried to trademark their daughter Blue Ivy’s name for similar purposes. Since their daughter Blue Ivy was born in 2012, the pair have been fighting to trademark her name, but have so far been denied the rights because an event company called Blue Ivy already owned the mark.
The couple argued that they are entitled to the trademark to prevent others from profiting off their daughter’s name, despite the company already owning the trademark and operating as a business before Blue Ivy was born.
Champagne Armand de Brignac Awarded number #1 Blanc de Noirs in the World for 2016
In blind tasting of 250 cuvées for FINE Champagne Magazine’s and Tastingbook.com’s 2016 Annual Champagne Rankings
Champagne Armand de Brignac was announced as the number one 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. The Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs is a 100% Pinot Noir prestige cuvée and less than 3,000 bottles of the first assemblage were created. It is the first new release champagne expression from the brand since it was acquired by Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter in November 2014.
The Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs is crafted from 100% Pinot Noir fruit, from some of the best black-grape producing villages in Champagne. A winemaking signature of Armand de Brignac is extreme selectivity in juice extraction, with the winemakers taking solely the first and freshest portion of the gentle cuvée grape press. This no-compromise approach to producing the most exceptional quality, resulted in a release of less than 3,000 bottles. The inaugural assemblage (A1) is a trio of vintages, 2006, 2008 and 2009, which rested in the chalk cellars in France for more than six years, before its release last November. The champagnes are crafted by the Cattier family, 11th generation Champagne growers, who have held family-owned vineyards in the region for more than 250 years.
FINE Champagne Magazine, the only international publication devoted to champagne, have annually assessed the vast offering on the international markets since 2010 producing the ranking of ‘100 Best Champagnes’. On the debut year, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold was celebrated as the best champagne of the year. This year, FINE Champagne organized the ranking in association with the world’s largest wine information source, Tastingbook.com.
“Blanc de Noirs are a rare but exciting, up-and-coming champagne category and we were delighted to see Armand de Brignac’s brand new release excel in our tasting. After all, FINE Champagne’s ranking is all about picking the best wines on the market for the consumer, celebrating champagne’s different styles” said Essi Avellan MW, the Editor of FINE Champagne Magazine.
Juha Lihtonen, co-founder of Tastingbook.com, comments that “Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs charms with its refined, round and opulent nature. It possesses all necessary characteristics of a great Blanc de Noirs. Thanks to these qualities, it stood out in its category.”
Champagne Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs is available at select fine wine stores in key cities of the world at USD $850.