Ace Of Spade

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. Ace On Your Screens: A DVD compilation of rare TV appearances from 1980-81, a live concert from 1981 and a 5.1 audio mix of the original album. The Ace Of Spades story. A 40 page book telling the story of Ace Of Spades through previously unpublished interviews with the people that were there. Includes never before seen photos.

The Ace of Spades, as well as the Ace of Clubs, is one of the most favourable cards. It means above all: Stocks, financial papers.It also announces forbidden pleasure, success with the girl or woman loved; passionate and sexually voracious love, marriage, happy future. Ace of spade playing card in full screen Ace of spade playing card ace of spades stock illustrations A complete set of all four aces from a card pack Playing cards. All elements are separate objects, grouped. —Ace Even CNN seems to know that this Egg With Legs is a ridiculous, comical little fatman, Hercule Poirot but without the brains or charm. Because they run a picture of a city engulfed in flames with his story. GlowBar Rechargeable Color Flashing Armand De Brignac Champagne Glorifier Display LED Ace of Spade VIP Bottle Presenter. 4.0 out of 5 stars 1.

Ace of spades
1828 'Old Frizzle'

The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card[1]) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game.[2][3]

Design[edit]

The ornate design of the ace of spades, common in packs today, stems from the 17th century, when James I and later Queen Anne imposed laws requiring the ace of spades to bear an insignia of the printing house. Stamp duty, an idea imported to England by Charles I, was extended to playing cards in 1711 by Queen Anne and lasted until 1960.[4][5]

Ace Of Spade

Over the years, a number of methods were used to show that duty had been paid. From 1712 onwards, one of the cards in the pack, usually the ace of spades, was marked with a hand stamp. In 1765 hand stamping was replaced by the printing of official ace of spades by the Stamp Office, incorporating the royal coat of arms. In 1828 the Duty Ace of Spades (known as 'Old Frizzle') was printed to indicate a reduced duty of a shilling had been paid.[6]

The system was changed again in 1862 when official threepenny duty wrappers were introduced and although the makers were free to use whatever design they wanted, most chose to keep the ornate ace of spades that is popular today.[6] The ace of spades is thus used to show the card manufacturer's information.

Since 1882, an annual pack of cards has been produced by the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards at the installation of each master and since 1888, a portrait of the Master has appeared at the centre of the ace of spades.[7]

The exact design of the ace card was so important, it eventually became the subject of design patents and trademarking. For example, on December 5, 1882, George G. White was granted U.S. design patent US0D0013473[8] for his design. His ace design was adorned with male and female figures leaning onto the spade from either side.

War[edit]

U.S. Army footage from 'Operation Baker' 1967 showing U.S. troops putting aces of spades in the mouths of dead VietCong/NLF (can be seen 1:53 min:sec & 2:34 min:sec into the video footage)

The ace of spades has been employed, on numerous occasions, in the theater of war.In the First World War the 12th (Eastern) Division of the British Army used the Ace of spades symbol as their insignia. [9]In the Second World War, the 25th Infantry Division (India) of the Indian Army used an Ace of Spades on a green background as their insignia. [10]

In World War II the soldiers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the American101st Airborne Division were marked with the spades symbol painted on the sides of their helmet. In this capacity, it was used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing. All four card suits were used for easy of identification of regiments within the airborne division following the confusion of a large scale combat airborne operation. Battalions within the regiments were denoted with tic marks or dots, marked from top clockwise: headquarters at the twelve o'clock position, 1st Battalion at the three o'clock, etc.

Some 20 years later, a folk legend about the ace of spades being used by American Soldiers during the Vietnam War was popularized. Supposedly, U.S. troops believed that Vietnamese traditions held the symbolism of the spade to mean death and ill-fortune and in a bid to frighten and demoralize Viet Cong soldiers, it was common practice to mockingly leave an ace of spades on the bodies of killed Vietnamese and even to litter the forested grounds and fields with the card.[citation needed] This custom was said to be so effective that the United States Playing Card Company was asked by Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment to supply crates of that single card in bulk. The plain white tuck cases were marked 'Bicycle Secret Weapon', and the cards were deliberately scattered in villages and in the jungle during raids.[11][12] The ace of spades, while not a symbol of superstitious fear to the Viet Cong forces, did help the morale of American soldiers. It was not unheard of for U.S. soldiers and Marines to stick this card in their helmet band as a sort of anti-peace sign.[citation needed]

More recently, in 2003 a deck of most-wanted Iraqi playing cards was issued to U.S. soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, each card had the picture of a wanted Iraqi official on it. Saddam Hussein got the nickname 'Ace of Spades', as that card bore his image.

Idioms[edit]

Various idioms involving the ace of spades include, 'black as the ace of spades,' which may refer either to completely black;totally without light or colour, color, race, (lack of) morality, or (lack of) cleanliness in a person.[13][a][14]There is the French expression fagoté comme l'as de pique—that is, '(badly) dressed like the ace of spades.'[15]

In Unicode[edit]

Ace Of Spades Meaning

  • U+1F0A1🂡PLAYING CARD ACE OF SPADES is part of the playing cards in Unicode

See[edit]

  • Richard Harding, hanged in London for forgery of the duty stamp on the ace of spades and knowingly selling playing cards with the same in 1805.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^For an example of the card referring to race, see Aaron McGruder, Public Enemy #2: An All-New Boondocks Collection (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2005), front cover.

References[edit]

  1. ^'Spadille' in Merriam-WebsterArchived 2015-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^Death Cards - Psychological OperationsArchived 2014-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^'The Tarot Death Card'. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  4. ^Knuckle, White, A Brief History of Playing Cards, retrieved November 22, 2013
  5. ^Hughes, E (2004). The English Stamp Duties, 1664-1764. 56, no.222 (April 1941). English Historical Review. p. 245.
  6. ^ abSchott, Ben (2004). 'Card Tax & The Ace of Spades'. Schott's Sporting, Gaming & Idling Miscellany. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 62. ISBN0-7475-6924-X.
  7. ^'Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards'. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  8. ^'Patent Images'. patimg2.uspto.gov.
  9. ^'12th (Eastern) Division'. The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  10. ^'25th Infantry Division (India)'. www.longlongtrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  11. ^Ace of Spades or Secret Weapon Death Playing Cards at Newt's Playing CardsArchived December 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^'Our History'. Bicycle Playing Cards. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  13. ^Gandhi, Lakshmi, 'Is It Racist To 'Call a Spade a Spade'?', Codeswitch, National Public Radio, September 23, 2013 (retrieved June 14, 2014).
  14. ^'Black as the Ace of spades'. www.thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  15. ^'As', Cassell's New French Dictionary (5th ed., 1951).

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aces of Spades.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ace_of_spades&oldid=992748564'
Armand de Brignac
Product typeChampagne
Produced byCattier
CountryFrance
WebsiteOfficial website

Armand de Brignac, colloquially known as the 'Ace of Spades' after its logo, is the name of the tête de cuvée[1]Champagne brand produced by Champagne Cattier and sold in opaque metallic bottles. The brand's first bottling, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, is identifiable by its gold bottle with French pewter Ace of Spades labels.[2][3]

The Armand de Brignac champagnes are produced in a multi-vintage style (like Krug's Grande Cuvée), and the Brut Gold cuvée is a blend of the grape varietiesPinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.[4] Two other cuvées, a Rosé and a Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay), were released in 2008.[5] In 2015, a Demi Sec and a Blanc de Noirs (100% Pinot Noir) also joined the range.[2][6]

History[edit]

At the turn of the twenty-first century, the Cattier family began to set aside parcels of reserve wines for a new ultra prestige Champagne project.[7] The first bottles of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold left the cellars in France in 2006.[7]

The original 'de Brignac' name was registered by the Cattier family in 'the late 1940s or early 50s', according to Jean-Jacques Cattier. It was chosen at that time by his mother, who had been reading a novel featuring a character named de Brignac.[7] Dormant for decades, the brand was revived for the new champagne after adding the name Armand. This was required by the French industry group Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) to avoid any confusion with the northwestern French village of Brignac, sitting just outside of the Champagne region itself.[8]In November 2014 it was announced that the champagne brand had been bought by a company led by Jay-Z.[9]

Champagnes[edit]

All champagnes in the portfolio are an assemblage of three vintages.There are five cuvées in the Armand de Brignac range:

Armand de Brignac Brut Gold is the flagship tête de cuvée from the 13th generation Montagne de Reims champagne growers, the Cattier family, the first bottles were released in 2006.[7] The assemblage typically comprises 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier.[4]

Armand de Brignac Rosé was first introduced in 2008.[5] The color comes from the inclusion of 12% of still red wine, harvested from old vines that produce fruit with great flavor intensity.[4] The assemblage typically comprises 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 10% Chardonnay.[4]

Armand de Brignac Demi Sec was first released at the end of 2015. It is a sweeter style of champagne with just 34 g/L of sugar.[6] The assemblage typically comprises 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier.

Ace Of Spades Tattoo

Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs is a single varietal champagne comprising 100% Chardonnay. Fruit is sourced from traditional Chardonnay territory, the Côte des Blancs, as well from Montagne de Reims.[4] The first bottles were released in 2008.[5]

Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs is the rarest cuvée in the Armand de Brignac range, with fewer than 3,000 bottles created for each assemblage.[10] It is a 100% Pinot Noir made with fruit from some of the best Pinot Noir growing villages in the region including Verzenay and Chigy les Roses.[2][10] The first bottles were for sale exclusively at Harrods in November 2015.[11]

Winemaking[edit]

Father and son Armand de Brignac winemakers Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier

The Champagne Cattier team who produce Armand de Brignac is led by Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier, 12th and 13th generation champagne growers. A team of 18 people touch a bottle of Armand de Brignac from pressing the fruit to when the bottles leave the cellars in France.[12]

Ace Of Spades Meaning

The Armand de Brignac champagnes are made in the village of Rilly-la-Montagne, in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne. Fruit is sourced from the 30+ hectares owned by the Cattier family and from growers in selected villages across the region.[13] All three Champagne grape varieties are used: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.[4]

After hand-picking, the fruit is pressed in one of two family-owned wineries located close to the vineyards.[14] The first press of 4,000 kilos of grapes provides an allowable yield of 20.5 hectolitres of juice (the 'cuvée') and Armand de Brignac selects just the very first and freshest portion of this press.[3][15]

The champagnes rest on lees in the cellars for years before disgorgement.[14] Armand de Brignac uses a unique dosage that comprises the best still wines aged for one year in French oak barrels.[14][15] These oak barrels are placed 30 ft underground and thought to give the champagne its complexity and life.[16]

Spade

Each metalized bottle is finished by hand, with the application of French pewter labels, polished, and housed in a wooden lacquered gift box, ensuring every single bottle is unique.[2] The annual yield for these bottles is roughly 60,000, which is considered fairly low in comparison to other named brands.[16]

Ace Of Spades Meaning

Reception[edit]

In February 2009, Spanish critic José Peñín published his own review of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold.[17] In November 2009, FINE Champagne Magazine published the results of a blind tasting of 1,000 champagne brands, with Armand de Brignac the top finisher.[18]

In 2015, wine critic Jancis Robinson MW rated the new Blanc de Noirs and Demi Sec champagnes 18/20 points.[7] That same year, Armand de Brignac Blanc de Blancs received a Double Gold Medal in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.[19] Armand de Brignac Brut Gold was also awarded a Gold Medal at the 2015 San Francisco International Wine Competition.[19]

In 2016, Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage One (A1) was awarded the #1 Blanc De Noirs in the World for 2016 by FINE Champagne Magazine.[20] In the same year, Wine Spectator rated Armand de Brignac Rosé 92 points and the Tasting Panel rated Armand de Brignac Brut Gold 93 points, and the Blanc de Blancs was awarded 94 points.[21]Decanter awarded 96 points to the new release Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Two (A2), 95 points for the Brut Gold and both the Rosé and Demi Sec cuvées were given 93 point ratings.[22]

In 2017, Armand de Brignac Brut Rosé was awarded Best Rosé Champagne in the World for 2017 by TastingBook.com.[23]

In popular culture[edit]

An appearance in Jay-Z's 2006 music video for 'Show Me What You Got' prior to the launch of the Armand de Brignac brand sparked wide discussion on sites covering hip-hop and popular culture, following his public fallout with the makers of Cristal.[24][25][26]

In June 2011 Mark Cuban spent $90,000 on a 15-litre bottle (10 magnum bottles) of Armand de Brignac in celebration of the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Championship.[27] A week later, the Boston Bruins purchased a 30-litre bottle of Armand de Brignac, dubbed the 'Midas', for $100,000. At the time of the purchase, the Midas bottle was one of six bottles released to date worldwide.[28] It is the largest bottle of Champagne available in the world and is only made by Armand de Brignac.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^'tête de cuvée'. Oxford Dictionaries Online. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  2. ^ abcd'Celebrate New York Champagne Week With Two New Armand de Brignac Flavors'. Haute Living. 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  3. ^ ab'Armand de Brignac'. Glass of Bubbly. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  4. ^ abcdef'Armand de Brignac - tasted! | Articles | JancisRobinson.com'. jancisrobinson.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  5. ^ abcd'Armand de Brignac |'. bestchampagne.fr. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  6. ^ ab'Armand de Brignac adds to Champagne range'. TheDrinksReport.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  7. ^ abcde'Champagne and sparkling wine - a compilation | Articles | JancisRobinson.com'(PDF). jancisrobinson.com. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  8. ^'Is the champagne in the Jay-z video for real? It's complicated.' Bloomberg Businessweek, Brand New Day, Burt Helm, October 25, 2006
  9. ^https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/jay-z-acquires-luxury-champagne-brand-armand-de-brignac
  10. ^ abWilson, Chris (May 19, 2016). 'How JAY Z's Armand de Brignac Became the Gold Standard of Champagne'. Maxim.
  11. ^'Armand de Brignac launches Ace of Spades blanc de noirs-Telegraph'. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  12. ^'The Top Drop', TheRake.com
  13. ^'Champagne Cattier'. Cattier Champagne. Archived from the original on 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  14. ^ abc'Wine Spotlight: How Armand de Brignac Handcrafts Luxury Champagne'. Beverage Dynamics. 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  15. ^ ab'Father's Day Gifts | The A-List'. alist.vanityfair.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  16. ^ ab'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^PRWeb (September 24, 2009). Armand de Brignac Rated the World's #1 Champagne
  18. ^'Essi Avellan » FINE Champagne 100 Best Champagnes'. essiavellan.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  19. ^ ab'San Francisco International Wine Competition'. sfwinecomp.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  20. ^Brignac, Champagne Armand de. 'Champagne Armand de Brignac Awarded #1 Blanc de Noirs in the World for 2016'. prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  21. ^'Blue Reviews EXTRA! April-May 2016 - The Tasting Panel Magazine'. tastingpanelmag.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  22. ^'How good is Jay Z's 'Ace of Spades' Champagne? - Decanter'. Decanter. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  23. ^'Not logged | Your personal wine professional | Tastingbook'. tastingbook.com. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  24. ^hiphopgame.com Armand de BrignacArchived 2007-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^prohiphop.com ProHipHop Coverage of Armand de Brignac ChampagneArchived January 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^Weston, Nicole, Luxist.com (October 17, 2006). 'Armand de Brignac Is the New Cristal'Archived 2017-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^'Report: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spent $110K celebrating NBA title'. Fox Sports.
  28. ^Gary Dzen (June 19, 2011). 'Bruins go to Foxwoods, drink from a $100,000 bottle of champagne'. Boston.com. Retrieved June 20, 2011.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armand de Brignac.
Ace Of Spade
  • Official website

Ace Of Spade Bottle

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