Ayala
Pale gold in the glass with luminous highlights, animated by fine, dynamic and persistent bubbles. The nose is crystalline in its elegance: pear, grapefruit and jasmine intertwine with delicate honeyed notes born of six years of slow lees ageing. On the palate, the tension of Mesnil-sur-Oger enters…
THE CUVÉES OF MAISON AYALAThe expert verdict
The structure of this champagne
TASTING NOTES
Pale gold in the glass with luminous highlights, animated by fine, dynamic and persistent bubbles. The nose is crystalline in its elegance: pear, grapefruit and jasmine intertwine with delicate honeyed notes born of six years of slow lees ageing. On the palate, the tension of Mesnil-sur-Oger enters into dialogue with the silky texture of Cuis and the breadth of Cramant, before a saline, chalky finish of remarkable length.
The composition
Terroirs
Six crus from the 2018 vintage — four Grands Crus from the Côte des Blancs (Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger) and two Premiers Crus (Cuis on the Côte des Blancs, Bisseuil on the Montagne de Reims) — express the purity of Champagne's chalky soils in its fullest sense, selected from 22 crus received at harvest.
About this house
Founded in 1860 in Aÿ, Ayala was among the first houses to champion a low-dosage style, swimming against the tide of an era that favoured sweetness. Acquired in 2005 by the Bollinger group, it has since reclaimed the excellence and renown it commanded at its Victorian peak.
Under the guidance of chef de cave Caroline Latrive, Ayala today asserts a signature built on aromatic precision and restraint. Its vintage Blanc de Blancs cuvées, crafted through parcel-by-parcel micro-vinifications in stainless steel and aged at length in the cellars, are the fullest expression of this philosophy.
The perfect pairing
Aperitif
The mineral tension and briny notes of this Blanc de Blancs are the perfect foil for a dozen freshly-shucked rock oysters from open water.
Starter
The citrus and fresh herbs of gravlax mirror the vivacity of the cuvée's grapefruit and jasmine in perfect harmony.
Main Course
The nobility of lobster finds its equal in this Blanc de Blancs Grands Crus — a truly gastronomic pairing, with the coral butter echoing the creamy breadth of Cramant.
Autres champagnes
from Maison Ayala
