What qualifies as “extreme” when we talk motorcycle design? Is it the use of exotic materials? The fitment of the latest gadgets to turn it from one motorcycle into something entirely different? Or is it just a design so perfectly executed that it makes the other models pale in comparison?
Admittedly, the term is indeed subjective, yet it doesn’t make it any less valuable. Radical design and performance have long gone hand-in-hand with motorcycle building, be it from Honda’s special HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) wing to a builder working in subzero temperatures in Russia.
A few years back, we looked at a dozen bikes that blew us away, and we thought it was time to go for another round. With that in mind, here are another 15 examples that we consider among the most extreme motorcycles on the planet—each a game-changer, a leader in its field or just something so outrageous that it qualifies by default. You might want to wear a helmet.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF HONDA MOTOR COMPANY, LTD.
Honda RC213V-S
In 2015, Honda released the approx. $262,000 RC213 V-S. Based heavily off Marc Marquez’s 2013 MotoGP World Championship–winning RC213 V, the V-S remains the closest thing anyone can buy to a real MotoGP racer for the street.
The motorcycle was neutered when it came to America, limited to just 75kW so it could get through testing. But Honda also released a full HRC Sport Kit for the V-S that unlocked all 160kW from the 1000cc V-4. Couple this with HRC’s best possible production chassis, and you have a sports motorcycle without peer.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF VYRUS.
Vyrus Alyen 988
Italian custom stalwart Vyrus is not known for subtlety, with bikes sporting its trademark double swingarm/hub-centre-steering suspension set up. But the Alyen 988, released in March, is over-the-top even for Vyrus.
A Ducati Panigale 1299 motor is wrapped in a magnesium Omega chassis and cloaked in load-bearing carbon-fibre bodywork that, when layered in the uni-direction format, has the appearance of high-quality woodgrain. The entire package rolls on carbon-fibre Rotobox wheels. With the look of a frilled-neck lizard transformed into a motorcycle, the Alyen 988 won’t be for everyone, but we’re very glad shops like Vyrus still exist.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MV AGUSTA MOTOR S.P.A.
MV Agusta F4 LH44
Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with MV Agusta and, over the years, has released a number of motorcycles bearing his famous LH44 label. But none have come close to the visual feast that is the MV Agusta F4 LH44.
Based heavily off the WorldSBK race replica F4 RC—in fact, it is the same bike, just with incredible paint—the LH44 retails for nearly twice the price as the F4 RC at approx. $95,000. However, when you see an LH44 in the flesh, any thoughts of it not being worth the extra cash go out the window. The red and black paint is a true masterpiece from MV Agusta, so much so that it would almost be a shame to get it dirty by riding…almost.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLE.
Appaloosa: A Nitro Drag racer From Indian Motorcycle
Commissioned by Indian Motorcycle Europe’s head office to race in first the Sultans of Sprint series and later the Baikal Mile ice sprints in Siberia, this Appaloosa is about as far removed from the donor machine as you could get.
A dustbin fairing encapsulates a custom chassis, swingarm and motor that’s got an extra 22k shot of nitrous at its disposal when flying down the strip. With tyres wrapped in studs and 97kW on hand, this has to be the most extreme Indian build we’ve seen for many years.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CUSTOM WORKS ZON.
The ‘Stealth Crow’ BMW K 1600 B by Custom Works Zon.
The K 1600 B is basically a brattier version of the gentlemanly K 160 GTL touring motorcycle from BMW, but even the stock 1600 B can’t hold a candle to the machine emanating from Japan’s motorcycle house, Custom Works Zon. What’s impressive is that every part you see here bolts to a standard BMW chassis. Designed to give the look of a monocoque, the ‘Stealth Crow’, as CW Zon calls it, is an otherworldly design exercise to see just what can be done with a standard chassis. The result is a breathtaking journey in carbon-fibre manufacturing, and a machine that looks unlike anything else on the road.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HAZAN MOTORWORKS.
The Musket by Hazan Motorworks
Based in Los Angeles, custom builder Max Hazan designs machines that have been flooring the motorcycle industry for the past few years, and he continues to carve out an artistic niche few can match.
One of Hazan’s most famous designs is the Musket. It’s built around two 500cc Royal Enfield single-cylinder motors cast together by Ohio-based Royal Enfield motor modifier Aniket Vardhan. Every other piece you see here, aside from the wheels and tires, was created by Hazan, including the tank, fenders, frame and seat unit. Made to order, of course, the model is rumoured to run for approx. $256,000.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF LAZARETH.
Lazareth LM 847
French custom dynamo Ludovic Lazareth gets his kicks by making truly outrageous designs, but none have been as outlandish as the LM 847. Built around a 350kW V8 Maserati motor with four single-sided swingarms, rim-mounted brakes and hub-centre steering, the LM 847 is essentially a leaning quad bike, just one with about 10 times the power. At 2.6-metre in length and weighing 400kg, the Lazareth LM 847 easily takes the mantle as the most extreme quad bike we’ve ever seen.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BARESTEEL DESIGN.
Stingray by Baresteel Design
Electric motorcycles are very much in vogue with the world’s custom builders right now, and British Columbia’s Baresteel Design has pushed the limits of the market segment further with the incredible Stingray. Designed for the Haas Moto Museum & Sculpture Gallery in Dallas, Tex., Jay Donovan crafted an electric masterpiece with hints of retro, modern and futuristic café racer.
“I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like but I was very curious about the relationship between quality and modern technology, Donovan told pipeburn.com. “And I knew that I wanted to expand my understanding of design and engineering, their boundaries, both hard and soft, and their dynamic and philosophical relationship to one another.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD.
Kawasaki Ninja H2 R
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a major international transport company, with a board of directors and various shareholders it answers to. As such, it makes the existence of the H2 R even more amazing, for this is a 998 cc supercharged production motorcycle—and one that comes with a factory warranty. The H2 R is the halo machine in Kawasaki’s lineup. It’s a 231kW monster, complete with the rattlesnake hiss of the supercharger, and reserved for only the bravest and skilled of riders.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BANDIT9.
Eve Lux by Bandit9
Daryl Villanueva of Bandit9, located in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, is no stranger to the pages of Robb Report. We’ve featured his numerous times, consistently blown away by is avant-garde custom motorcycles. Commissioned by Hong Kong luxury retailer Lane Crawford, Eve runs an engine that is, frankly, the opposite of extreme—a 1967 Honda SuperSport 125cc single-cylinder motor. But it’s wrapped in Villanueva’s pressed steel chassis and sci-fi-inspired one-piece bodywork.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ROLAND SANDS DESIGN.
KRV5 Tracker by Roland Sands Design
There are customs, and then there are customs from Roland Sands Design. And there’s never been a Roland Sands build quite like the KRV5 Tracker. This board track–inspired treasure uses a genuine Proton KR5 MotoGP motor as its heart, donated by American racing legend Kenny Roberts, encased in a minimalistic tubular steel chassis and garish green and red paint. No one before or since has created a custom motorcycle using a real MotoGP motor, making the RSD KRV5 Tracker one of the most bar-raising builds we’ve ever seen.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF EASTERN BOBBER CUSTOM CYCLE.
Bone X by Eastern Bobber Custom Cycle
Where does one start with the Bone X by Eastern Bobber Custom Cycle? The motorized piece of abstract art was created by Omar Jumiran in his workshop in Malaysia and uses a 1961 AJS 350 cc single-cylinder engine. The machine also features a single-sided swingarm front and rear suspension setup and 21-inch billet 6061 CNC-machined wheels. Demonstrating Jumiran’s creative vision and master craftsmanship, the Bone X took second place in the 2018 AMD World Championships for Custom Motorcycles.
PHOTO : PHOTO: COURTESY OF ZILLERS GARAGE.
Zillers Garage BMW R nineT
Dmitry Golubchikov of Moscow-based Zillers Garage used the start of 2020 to launch one of his most ambitious projects to date—this shape-shifting BMW R nineT. Keeping the stock BMW motor and not much else, the Zillers machine can change heights at the push of a button, using a pneumatic system to raise and lower the motorcycle’s stance. The body is a total deviation from Zillers usual style that leaves the motor free of a fairing and in open view. The inspiration for this custom comes from the world of aviation.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BLACKSTONE TEK.
BST-HyperTEK
South Africa’s Blackstone Tek (BST) is one of the leading lights in carbon-fibre technology, mainly focusing on wheel production for cars and motorcycles. Yet in 2019, it teamed with another famous South African, Pierre Terblanche, the man responsible for the Ducati Supermono (among many other designs).
The result of the collaboration is the all-electric BST-HyperTEK. powered by a DHX Hawk electric motor that produces 80kW and 119Nm of instant torque. The BST-HyperTek is paired with its own Cross X1 smart helmet, where all the bike’s critical information is flashed up on the visor for a data presentation as futuristic looking as the bike itself.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THRIVE MOTORCYCLE.
Thrive T 22 Synthesis
To build a custom motorcycle, you have to loosen the grip on convention. To build a custom dragster, you have to let go completely. Indonesia’s Thrive Motorcycle has done just that with its T 22 Synthesis. No longer recognizable from the donor Kawasaki Ninja 150 RR it was born from, the T 22 Synthesis is a twin-engine two-stroke dragster totalling 300cc, wrapped in aluminium tubing for the chassis and a monocoque body—just like the halo drag bikes of the 1960s.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.