Every so often, a release arrives that feels destined to define a season. This year, it comes from the vaulted cellars of Champagne in the form of Armand de Brignac Blanc de Noirs Assemblage No. 5 — a cuvée that balances rarity, craftsmanship, and spectacle in equal measure. Assemblage No. 5 is the fifth edition in the house’s coveted Blanc de Noirs series, each treated like a numbered chapter in a collector’s library. Only 8,165 bottles exist worldwide, and each carries its

(We'll take both!) Let’s set the scene: golden hour is stretching across the patio, citrus is being sliced just so, and the bubbles are...