Four of the most significant Porsche 911s ever produced
Just as one never tires of seeing a masterwork in a museum, the same can be said for a 911 on the motorway.
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When Porsche officially presented its flagship 911 model in 1964, the German automaker cemented its reputation for creating high-performance vehicles driven by a design language uniquely their own. And just as one never tires of seeing a masterwork in a museum, the same can be said for a 911 on the motorway.
The last several months have been momentous for Porsche and its iconic model as the marque manufactured its one millionth 911, premiered its top Turbo S, and has unveiled the most powerful and fleet street-legal 911 in its history. In addition, one rare prototype has been restored to pristine condition by an independent team. Here is a closer look at the aforementioned cars that have either premiered or reappeared this year.
The 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
The 2018 GT2 RS — the latest in the iconic 911 line—has been bolstered by a 515 kW, 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six engine (generating 750 Nm) mated with a Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) GT 7-speed double-clutch transmission. The pairing allows the coupe to cover zero to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds and to reach a top track speed of 340 km/h. The power train represents an increase of 59 kW and 50 Nm over the original 2011 version, as well as a rate of acceleration that is quicker by 0.7 seconds. The engine’s performance has been enhanced not only by its turbochargers, but with a secondary cooling system that sprays water on the intercoolers when the temperature exceeds ideal operational levels.
Lending the car its cat-like reflexes without being skittish is a racing-inspired chassis that has had its chassis joints replaced by ball joints for added rigidity — a first for any road-specific Porsche to date. To ensure that the driver’s intent is most efficiently translated, the Porsche Stability Management System (PSM) monitors driving dynamics and activates the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) as needed. In addition, rear-axle steering directs the front and back wheels in opposite directions at low speed, and in the same orientation at high speed to simulate a shorter or longer wheelbase, respectively.
Excess weight has been eradicated by the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) throughout much of the car, including the rear quarter panel air intakes, front fenders, and wheel housing vents, while magnesium makes up the roof. To further lighten the load, Porsche’s optional Weissach package shaves off roughly 18 more kilograms with the addition of magnesium wheels, carbon-fibre roof and anti-roll bars, and a host of other composite componentry.
Perhaps more visually impressive than the exterior, however, is what lies inside. The cockpit is dressed in black leather, red Alcantara accents, and carbon-fibre detailing. The latter includes the reinforced backrests of the full bucket seats. Swaddled in style, the pilot has easy access to the Porsche Communication Management system (for navigation and infotainment), and Porsche Connect Plus, the Porsche Track Precision App, and the optional Chrono Package when track time takes precedence.
As with the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Coupe, announced June 7, the 911 GT2 RS has also been synched up with a Porsche Design watch. In this case it’s the 911 GT2 RS Chronograph — available only to the vehicle’s owners. The titanium-cased timepiece presents a carbon-fibre face that mirrors the instrument cluster of the car, and each can be further tailored to match the buyer’s specific automotive trim choices.
The 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S exclusive
On June 7, less than one month after Porsche produced its one millionth 911, the German marque announced another milestone with the 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Coupe — the most powerful 911 Turbo S created. But the exclusivity goes deeper than what’s under the hood, as the hand-finished car presents new aesthetics inside and out, along with the option of a matching Porsche Design timepiece as complement.
At the heart of this Hercules is a 3.8-litre, twin-turbo flat-6 engine that generates 446 kW and 750 Nm. With 20 kW more than the standard Turbo S, the coupe is also 0.3 seconds quicker. The power train, which also includes a 7-speed PDK transmission, allows the car to crush zero to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and reach a track speed of up to 330 km/h.
Along with its Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and Porsche Active Suspension Management, the marque fine-tunes the two-door titan’s handling with the addition of Porsche Active Suspension Management and the Sport Chrono package — features that are usually available only as options. All of the above gets translated to the road through 50-centimetre centre-lock wheels, and is tamed by the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system which bolsters the vehicle’s already arresting performance.
The Exclusive Series Coupe’s definitive design elements include extensive use of composite materials, such as the carbon-fibre roof, side skirts, and trunk lid. Aerodynamics are accentuated with the integrated Aerokit that comprises a new front spoiler, a redesigned deck lid (with fixed spoiler and side winglets), and an automatic rear wing. To further distance itself from the more mainstream model, the car is presented in Porsche’s Golden Yellow Metallic paint contrasted with two carbon-fibre bands across the roof and rear.
The pilot and passenger are pampered within the carbon-fibre–trimmed interior with 18-way adjustable leather seats, a Burmester sound system, and the Porsche Communication Management system. The latter includes navigation, entertainment, and connectivity features — many of which can be accessed from the steering wheel for convenience.
To commemorate the car, Porsche Design has developed the customisable Chronograph 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series timepiece. The titanium-cased watch, which features a carbon steel dial and the manufacture’s first proprietary movement, also reflects the automobile’s auric livery.
The Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series Coupe is produced by the new Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur atelier — specializing in bespoke builds — at the automaker’s facility in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Only 500 examples will be made.
The one-millionth Porsche 911 produced
In 1963, the same year that Porsche introduced its 911 to the world, McDonald’s served its millionth hamburger. It may have taken more time, but the German automaker hit the same number with its archetypal automobile on May 11, as the one-millionth Porsche 911 was produced at the factory in Zuffenhausen.
The car that captured the honour is a rear-wheel-drive Carrera S painted in the marque’s Irish Green. With a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo boxer engine under the hood, the 309 kW coupe covers zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds while on its way to a top speed of 307 km/h. But it doesn’t just run with more kilowatts than the original 94 kW 911, the Carrera contains such high-tech touches as the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) damping control and the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system, which both refine the ride inside.
From daily driver to concours-quality showpiece, the 911 remains one of the most popular sports cars on the market, as evidenced by the fact that 32,365 examples from the model line were delivered globally last year alone. One that will not be sold, however, is the Carrera that brought the count to a million, as it will be parked in the Porsche Museum after a world tour.
Canepa’s 1967 Porsche 911 R prototype
Officially launched in the fall of 1964, the Porsche 911 was a way to take the popular, but still young, German marque into a new automotive market. With a more powerful 6-cylinder engine and a rakish look, the successor to the 356 model promised buyers a more sporting experience and double takes on the boulevard.
Legendary 911 racing victories were still the stuff of Porsche’s dreams when, in 1967, the company’s engineers pulled four 911 S cars off the factory line and set about creating a lightweight prototype dubbed the R, for rennsport.
Call it the origin of the species, a machine that became the spiritual predecessor to countless 911-based cars that would claim victory at Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. Call it . . . for sale.
An example referred to as R4, the last of four R prototypes (20 production models would follow), is ready to drive into a new collection after being meticulously spruced up — but not over-restored — by Bruce Canepa and his team of experts at Canepa in Scotts Valley, Calif. While the price is available upon request, by way of guidance, Canepa notes that a few of the production 911 Rs have sold for almost $5 million ($A6.3 million) each. Extrapolate out from there.
“It’s the ultimate 911,” says ex-Porsche racer and marque expert Canepa. “The R cars were the first of the production race cars and, as such, really tell the story of everything that Porsche has done since then. It started here. And I’ve never seen a pre-galvanising car in this condition.”
R4’s unusual history directly contributes to its rare, unmolested condition. After its first French owner missed a few car payments, the car was returned to the dealer in preparation for a 1970 auction. But then, R4 was stolen, only to be rediscovered in a warehouse in Marseilles in 1991. After a few decades in the care of a British owner, R4 found its way to a U.S. collector in 2006.
“Because it was stolen and hidden away, there was no moisture or oxidation to contend with,” says Canepa, whose team took the car down to its tub and refurbished every part. “There are no sins in this car anywhere. It tells its own original story.”
The 911 R, in general, remains a beast of a Porsche. Where a 911 S weighed in at a svelte 1043 kilometres, the R shed an additional 226 kilometres off of its figure thanks to fibreglass doors, decklids, and bumpers, as well as aluminum hinges and the use of thinner steel. The flat-6 engine is good for 165 kW at 8000 rpm. In fact, many consider the R a racing 906 in 911 clothing.
Porsche racer Patrick Long sampled R4 recently for an exhaustive review in the new Porsche enthusiast quarterly, 000. Although he’s driven almost every Porsche race car imaginable, this 1967 gem left him grasping for adjectives. “This car is emotional, it’s loud, it likes it rough,” Long commented. “Now I get it.”
Canepa, who has made a name for himself improving Porsche’s 1980s supercar, the 959, says R4 offers the Porsche experience perhaps at its most pure.
“The balance of power to weight to handling is just incredible,” he says. “It reminds you that minimal weight is the best combination — it defines what a real sports car is. I honestly don’t know if there is a better car from this era.”
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Watch of the Week: TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith
The legendary sports watch returns, but with an unexpected twist.
Over the last few years, watch pundits have predicted the return of the eccentric TAG Heuer Formula 1, in some shape or form. It was all but confirmed when TAG Heuer’s heritage director, Nicholas Biebuyck, teased a slew of vintage models on his Instagram account in the aftermath of last year’s Watches & Wonders 2023 in Geneva. And when speaking with Frédéric Arnault at last year’s trade fair, the former CEO asked me directly if the brand were to relaunch its legacy Formula 1 collection, loved by collectors globally, how should they go about it?
My answer to the baited entreaty definitely didn’t mention a collaboration with Ronnie Fieg of Kith, one of the world’s biggest streetwear fashion labels. Still, here we are: the TAG Heuer Formula 1 is officially back and as colourful as ever.
As the watch industry enters its hype era—in recent years, we’ve seen MoonSwatches, Scuba Fifty Fathoms, and John Mayer G-Shocks—the new Formula 1 x Kith collaboration might be the coolest yet.
Here’s the lowdown: overnight, TAG Heuer, together with Kith, took to socials to unveil a special, limited-edition collection of Formula 1 timepieces, inspired by the original collection from the 1980s. There are 10 new watches, all limited, with some designed on a stainless steel bracelet and some on an upgraded rubber strap; both options nod to the originals.
Seven are exclusive to Kith and its global stores (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Hawaii, Tokyo, Toronto, and Paris, to be specific), and are made in an abundance of colours. Two are exclusive to TAG Heuer; and one is “shared” between TAG Heuer and Kith—this is a highlight of the collection, in our opinion. A faithful play on the original composite quartz watch from 1986, this model, limited to just 1,350 pieces globally, features the classic black bezel with red accents, a stainless steel bracelet, and that creamy eggshell dial, in all of its vintage-inspired glory. There’s no doubt that this particular model will present as pure nostalgia for those old enough to remember when the original TAG Heuer Formula 1 made its debut.
Of course, throughout the collection, Fieg’s design cues are punctuated: the “TAG” is replaced with “Kith,” forming a contentious new brand name for this specific release, as well as Kith’s slogan, “Just Us.”
Collectors and purists alike will appreciate the dedication to the original Formula 1 collection: features like the 35mm Arnite cases—sourced from the original 80s-era supplier—the form hour hand, a triangle with a dot inside at 12 o’clock, indices that alternate every quarter between shields and dots, and a contrasting minuterie, are all welcomed design specs that make this collaboration so great.
Every TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith timepiece will be presented in an eye-catching box that complements the fun and colour theme of Formula 1 but drives home the premium status of this collaboration. On that note, at $2,200 a piece, this isn’t exactly an approachable quartz watch but reflects the exclusive nature of Fieg’s Kith brand and the pieces he designs (largely limited-edition).
So, what do we think? It’s important not to understate the significance of the arrival of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 in 1986, in what would prove integral in setting up the brand for success throughout the 90’s—it was the very first watch collection to have “TAG Heuer” branding, after all—but also in helping to establish a new generation of watch consumer. Like Fieg, many millennial enthusiasts will recall their sentimental ties with the Formula 1, often their first timepiece in their horological journey.
This is as faithful of a reissue as we’ll get from TAG Heuer right now, and budding watch fans should be pleased with the result. To TAG Heuer’s credit, a great deal of research has gone into perfecting and replicating this iconic collection’s proportions, materials, and aesthetic for the modern-day consumer. Sure, it would have been nice to see a full lume dial, a distinguishing feature on some of the original pieces—why this wasn’t done is lost on me—and perhaps a more approachable price point, but there’s no doubt these will become an instant hit in the days to come.
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The TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith collection will be available on Friday, May 3rd, exclusively in-store at select TAG Heuer and Kith locations in Miami, and available starting Monday, May 6th, at select TAG Heuer boutiques, all Kith shops, and online at Kith.com. To see the full collection, visit tagheuer.com
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8 Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About Aston Martin
The British sports car company is most famous as the vehicle of choice for James Bond, but Aston Martin has an interesting history beyond 007.
Aston Martin will forever be associated with James Bond, ever since everyone’s favourite spy took delivery of his signature silver DB5 in the 1964 film Goldfinger. But there’s a lot more to the history of this famed British sports car brand beyond its association with the fictional British Secret Service agent.
Let’s dive into the long and colourful history of Aston Martin.
The origin of the Aston Martin name
The company that would become Aston Martin started out as a car dealership. In 1912, Englishmen Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin partnered to sell cars, but soon after they decided to build their own models. Their first prototype debuted in 1915, named in honour of Martin, a racing driver, and his favourite racing venue, Aston Hills. Thus, the name Aston Martin was born.
A speed-demon co-founder banned from driving
Aston Martin co-founder Lionel Martin wasn’t just a keen racing driver—he was an all-out speed demon. As a student, Martin won numerous gruelling bicycle racing records, including riding nearly the full width of England in one 22-hour stretch. He competed in motorcycle and sidecar races and automotive hillclimb competitions. It seems he also brought that need for speed to the public roadways: In 1909, having neglected to pay a previous speeding fine, Martin was caught driving 41.5 km/ph in London and was banned from driving for two years—during which he set yet another cross-country bicycle record.
A tractor company takes over
The years after World War I were tumultuous for Aston Martin, with financial difficulties and numerous takeovers. In 1947, Aston Martin went up for sale and was purchased by David Brown Limited, a company that specialised in farm tractors and industrial gears. Sir David Brown, grandson of the company’s founder, was a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, having built his own competition cars while working as an engineer at the family company. The first car built by Aston Martin after this takeover was called the DB1, named after the tractor company (and the man) that had saved the carmaker.
An indirect connection to Bentley
Around the same time that Sir David Brown took over Aston Martin, he purchased another struggling British carmaker, Lagonda. The company was developing a revolutionary twin-cam six-cylinder engine called the LB6, and Sir David wanted the engine for his new line of Aston Martin sports cars. The Lagonda engine had been designed by none other than W.O. Bentley—the man who co-founded Bentley Motors, who had long since been pushed out of the company bearing his name.
The history of the DB Series
Aston Martin built seven vehicles named in honour of owner Sir David Brown: The DB1, DB2, DB3, DB4, DB5, DB6, and the combo-breaker DBS all bore Sir David’s initials. In 1972, Sir David sold the car company, and the new owners ended the DB series of vehicles, but the name was revived in 1993 with the DB7 in honour of Sir David—who himself was given an honorary position at the company that same year.
Bond, James Bond
Of course, the most famous Aston Martin of them all is the DB5. Just over 1,000 examples were built between 1963 and 1965, but millions worldwide know this as the James Bond car. In the books, author Ian Fleming had specified an earlier Aston Martin DB Mark III as Bond’s car. Still, the DB5 was introduced in the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, equipped with gadgets including machine guns, smoke screens, oil slicks, an ejector seat, and rotating license plates. Bond has driven several Aston Martin models over the years, including a V8 Vantage, a V12 Vanquish, and two DBS models, but the original DB5 will always be considered the quintessential Bond car.
The angular years
Today, the Aston Martin badge is most closely associated with swooping, evocatively curvy car designs, but in the 1970s the company was obsessed with angular, wedge-shaped designs. The trend began in 1976 with the Aston Martin Lagonda, a shockingly unconventional four-door luxury sedan with “folded-paper” body styling and the world’s first all-digital instrument panel. The Lagonda’s styling was further evolved in 1979 with the Bulldog, a radical concept car with gullwing doors and a sharply pointed nose. The Bulldog was meant to become the fastest road car on earth, but the project was abandoned before production could begin.
For Bond’s eyes only
While most of James Bond’s Aston Martins have been commercially available to anyone who could afford one, the DB10 seen in the 2015 film Spectre was exclusive to 007. As Aston Martin executive Marek Reichman explained to Variety, director Sam Mendes, producer Barbara Broccoli, and Bond star Daniel Craig were touring Aston Martin’s design studios when they saw a concept sketch on the wall. The Bond team insisted that this should be 007’s next car, and Aston Martin spent the next six months furiously working to turn the drawing into a real-world car. The DB10 was unveiled during the launch of the film Spectre, and eight of the 10 examples built were featured in the movie, with the remaining two used for promotional appearances.
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What Venice’s New Tourist Tax Means for Your Next Trip
The Italian city will now charge visitors an entry fee during peak season.
Visiting the Floating City just got a bit more expensive.
Venice is officially the first metropolis in the world to start implementing a day-trip fee in an effort to help the Italian hot spot combat overtourism during peak season, The Associated Press reported. The new program, which went into effect, requires travellers to cough up roughly €5 (about $AUD8.50) per person before they can explore the city’s canals and historic sites. Back in January, Venice also announced that starting in June, it would cap the size of tourist groups to 25 people and prohibit loudspeakers in the city centre and the islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello.
“We need to find a new balance between the tourists and residents,’ Simone Venturini, the city’s top tourism official, told AP News. “We need to safeguard the spaces of the residents, of course, and we need to discourage the arrival of day-trippers on some particular days.”
During this trial phase, the fee only applies to the 29 days deemed the busiest—between April 25 and July 14—and tickets will remain valid from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Visitors under 14 years of age will be allowed in free of charge in addition to guests with hotel reservations. However, the latter must apply online beforehand to request an exemption. Day-trippers can also pre-pay for tickets online via the city’s official tourism site or snap them up in person at the Santa Lucia train station.
“With courage and great humility, we are introducing this system because we want to give a future to Venice and leave this heritage of humanity to future generations,” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) regarding the city’s much-talked-about entry fee.
Despite the mayor’s backing, it’s apparent that residents weren’t totally pleased with the program. The regulation led to protests and riots outside of the train station, The Independent reported. “We are against this measure because it will do nothing to stop overtourism,” resident Cristina Romieri told the outlet. “Moreover, it is such a complex regulation with so many exceptions that it will also be difficult to enforce it.”
While Venice is the first city to carry out the new day-tripper fee, several other European locales have introduced or raised tourist taxes to fend off large crowds and boost the local economy. Most recently, Barcelona increased its city-wide tourist tax. Similarly, you’ll have to pay an extra “climate crisis resilience” tax if you plan on visiting Greece that will fund the country’s disaster recovery projects.
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Omega Reveals a New Speedmaster Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics
Your first look at the new Speedmaster Chronoscope, designed in the colour theme of the Paris Olympics.
The starters are on the blocks, and with less than 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Olympics, luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega was bound to release something spectacular to mark its bragging rights as the official timekeeper for the Summer Games. Enter the new 43mm Speedmaster Chronoscope, available in new colourways—gold, black, and white—in line with the colour theme of the Olympic Games in Paris this July.
So, what do we get in this nicely-wrapped, Olympics-inspired package? Technically, there are four new podium-worthy iterations of the iconic Speedmaster.
The new versions present handsomely in stainless steel or 18K Moonshine Gold—the brand’s proprietary yellow gold known for its enduring shine. The steel version has an anodised aluminium bezel and a stainless steel bracelet or vintage-inspired perforated leather strap. The Moonshine Gold iteration boasts a ceramic bezel; it will most likely appease Speedy collectors, particularly those with an affinity for Omega’s long-standing role as stewards of the Olympic Games.
Notably, each watch bears an attractive white opaline dial; the background to three dark grey timing scales in a 1940s “snail” design. Of course, this Speedmaster Chronoscope is special in its own right. For the most part, the overall look of the Speedmaster has remained true to its 1957 origins. This Speedmaster, however, adopts Omega’s Chronoscope design from 2021, including the storied tachymeter scale, along with a telemeter, and pulsometer scale—essentially, three different measurements on the wrist.
While the technical nature of this timepiece won’t interest some, others will revel in its theatrics. Turn over each timepiece, and instead of a transparent crystal caseback, there is a stamped medallion featuring a mirror-polished Paris 2024 logo, along with “Paris 2024” and the Olympic Rings—a subtle nod to this year’s games.
Powering this Olympiad offering—and ensuring the greatest level of accuracy—is the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9908 and 9909, certified by METAS.
A Speedmaster to commemorate the Olympic Games was as sure a bet as Mondo Deplantis winning gold in the men’s pole vault—especially after Omega revealed its Olympic-edition Seamaster Diver 300m “Paris 2024” last year—but they delivered a great addition to the legacy collection, without gimmickry.
However, the all-gold Speedmaster is 85K at the top end of the scale, which is a lot of money for a watch of this stature. By comparison, the immaculate Speedmaster Moonshine gold with a sun-brushed green PVD “step” dial is 15K cheaper, albeit without the Chronoscope complications.
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The Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope in stainless steel with a leather strap is priced at $15,725; stainless steel with steel bracelet at $16,275; 18k Moonshine Gold on leather strap $54,325; and 18k Moonshine Gold with matching gold bracelet $85,350, available at Omega boutiques now.
Discover the collection here
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Here’s What Goes Into Making Jay-Z’s $1,800 Champagne
We put Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 4 under the microsope.
In our quest to locate the most exclusive and exciting wines for our readers, we usually ask the question, “How many bottles of this were made?” Often, we get a general response based on an annual average, although many Champagne houses simply respond, “We do not wish to communicate our quantities.” As far as we’re concerned, that’s pretty much like pleading the Fifth on the witness stand; yes, you’re not incriminating yourself, but anyone paying attention knows you’re probably guilty of something. In the case of some Champagne houses, that something is making a whole lot of bottles—millions of them—while creating an illusion of rarity.
We received the exact opposite reply regarding Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 4. Yasmin Allen, the company’s president and CEO, told us only 7,328 bottles would be released of this Pinot Noir offering. It’s good to know that with a sticker price of around $1,800, it’s highly limited, but it still makes one wonder what’s so exceptional about it.
Known by its nickname, Ace of Spades, for its distinctive and decorative metallic packaging, Armand de Brignac is owned by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy and Jay-Z and is produced by Champagne Cattier. Each bottle of Assemblage No. 4 is numbered; a small plate on the back reads “Assemblage Four, [X,XXX]/7,328, Disgorged: 20 April, 2023.” Prior to disgorgement, it spent seven years in the bottle on lees after primary fermentation mostly in stainless steel with a small amount in concrete. That’s the longest of the house’s Champagnes spent on the lees, but Allen says the winemaking team tasted along the way and would have disgorged earlier than planned if they’d felt the time was right.
Chef de cave, Alexandre Cattier, says the wine is sourced from some of the best Premier and Grand Cru Pinot Noir–producing villages in the Champagne region, including Chigny-les-Roses, Verzenay, Rilly-la-Montagne, Verzy, Ludes, Mailly-Champagne, and Ville-sur-Arce in the Aube département. This is considered a multi-vintage expression, using wine from a consecutive trio of vintages—2013, 2014, and 2015—to create an “intense and rich” blend. Seventy percent of the offering is from 2015 (hailed as one of the finest vintages in recent memory), with 15 percent each from the other two years.
This precisely crafted Champagne uses only the tête de cuvée juice, a highly selective extraction process. As Allen points out, “the winemakers solely take the first and freshest portion of the gentle cuvée grape press,” which assures that the finished wine will be the highest quality. Armand de Brignac used grapes from various sites and three different vintages so the final product would reflect the house signature style. This is the fourth release in a series that began with Assemblage No. 1. “Testing different levels of intensity of aromas with the balance of red and dark fruits has been a guiding principle between the Blanc de Noirs that followed,” Allen explains.
The CEO recommends allowing the Assemblage No. 4 to linger in your glass for a while, telling us, “Your palette will go on a journey, evolving from one incredible aroma to the next as the wine warms in your glass where it will open up to an extraordinary length.” We found it to have a gorgeous bouquet of raspberry and Mission fig with hints of river rock; as it opened, notes of toasted almond and just-baked brioche became noticeable. With striking acidity and a vein of minerality, it has luscious nectarine, passion fruit, candied orange peel, and red plum flavors with touches of beeswax and a whiff of baking spices on the enduring finish. We enjoyed our bottle with a roast chicken rubbed with butter and herbes de Provence and savored the final, extremely rare sip with a bit of Stilton. Unfortunately, the pairing possibilities are not infinite with this release; there are only 7,327 more ways to enjoy yours.
