Ayala
A golden robe with ivory highlights, threaded by a fine, persistent mousse of great elegance. On the nose, white blossom and the iodine character of the Côte des Blancs intertwine with notes of brioche, fresh almond and candied citrus peel, revealed by eight years of ageing on lees. The palate…
THE CUVÉES OF MAISON AYALAThe expert verdict
The structure of this champagne
TASTING NOTES
A golden robe with ivory highlights, threaded by a fine, persistent mousse of great elegance. On the nose, white blossom and the iodine character of the Côte des Blancs intertwine with notes of brioche, fresh almond and candied citrus peel, revealed by eight years of ageing on lees. The palate unfolds with a remarkable chalky tension, balanced by the generous sunshine of the 2015 vintage, leading to a long, saline finish of refined precision.
The composition
Terroirs
Drawn exclusively from Grand Cru villages, the blend unites Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs — Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger — with Pinot Noir from Aÿ, the house's historic heartland, anchoring each vintage in the minerality of the Champenois chalk. This unwavering charter, upheld since 1995, ensures the consistency and nobility of the cuvée.
About this house
Founded in 1860 in Aÿ by Charles de Ayala, the house was built on a single conviction: elegance takes precedence over power. Low dosages, precise blending, extended ageing — a style ahead of its time, which the Bollinger family has preserved and affirmed since acquiring the house in 2005.
La Perle, the prestige cuvée born in 1995, is its most complete expression: produced in very limited quantities, riddled on traditional oak pupitres in the cellars of Aÿ, hand-disgorged and rested for a further year before release, it embodies everything the house holds most dear.
The perfect pairing
Aperitif
The fine mousse and saline minerality of La Perle are a natural match for Gruyère gougères — a classic pairing, and a flawless one.
Starter
The chalky acidity of the Côte des Blancs meets the gentle brininess of pan-seared scallops with rare precision.
Main course
The aromatic richness of the 2015 vintage and its eight years of maturation find in lobster tail a pairing of the highest gastronomy.
Autres champagnes
from Maison Ayala
