JAY-Z LAUCHES NEW CHAMPAGNE FOR BRAND HE BOUGHT TO GET REVENGE ON CRISTAL & EACH COST N160,000.

Jay Z has launched a new brand of champagne from his his own company - that sells for $760 (N160,000) a bottle.

The Armand de Brignac 'Ace of Spades' blanc des noirs - which owes its existence to a feud between the rapper and Cristal Champagne - was rolled out at a wine insiders' event this summer.

The fizz, which comes in a grandiose pewter bottle stamped with a large spade symbol, is the newest exclusive launch from Armand de Brignac, which Jay Z bought last year. 

Armand de Brignac

According to Bloomberg, which reported on the launch and taste-tested the Champagne, only 3,000 of the bottles will be made.

Similarly-branded bottles have existed before, but the new, more expensive round is a 'blanc de noirs' - made only from pinot grapes. 

The beverage is intended to be so exclusive that it will not be sold at the rapper's chain of clubs, named 40/40, which serve up other vintages from his company.

It became Jay Z's beverage of choice after he was snubbed by one of the bosses of Cristal and decided to boycott the brand - which used to be his favorite and appeared in many of his songs and music videos.

Frederic Rouzaud, the managing director of Cristal maker Louis Roederer, snubbed rappers and pop stars who bought his Champagne, implying that it made the brand look trashy.

In a 2006 interview with The Economist, Rouzaud lamented: 'What can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it.

'I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business.'

Jay Z took the jibe personally, and immediately banished Cristal, which sells for around $200, from his clubs and his own table.

In a 2010 article for TIME magazine, he said reading the comments was 'a slap in the face'.

He said: 'The tone is clear. When asked about an influential segment of his market, his response was, essentially, well, we can't stop them from drinking it. That was it for me.

'I released a statement saying that I would never drink Cristal or promote it in any way or serve it at my clubs ever again. I felt like this was the bulls**t I'd been dealing with forever, this kind of offhanded, patronizing disrespect for the culture of hip-hop'.

Soon after, according to Forbes, he bought a stake in Armand de Brignac, a wine company which previously only sold in France.

Late last year, it was announced that he had bought the rest of the company - and this fall brings the first opportunity for the company to roll out a range with Jay Z in full command. 

Dailymail