Famed as the champagne to pop in the Art Deco era, Ayala became synonymous with finesse and was the go-to drinks for those with a discerning palate – quickly becoming a celebrated chardonnay specialist among its contemporaries. One of the original 26 Grandes Marques Champagne houses, Champagne Ayala was founded by Edmond de Ayala in 1860 when he was given a grand chateau as his wedding dowry. In homage to its location – the village of Aÿ, in the heart of the Grands Crus – Monsieur Ayala laid the foundations for his vintry, and it soon became a reference point for quality.

From its foundation, the maison led the way in the creation of low-dosage (aka low sugar) wines that resulted in sharper, tarter, and purer expressions. It was also a founding member of the Syndicat des Grandes Marques in 1882, which further cemented the reputation of its wines as elegant, delicate, and true to champagne craftsmanship.

As the turn of the century came around, so did a Royal Warrant appointment and great prosperity – roaring by name and by nature, the 1920s was a deliciously raucous time. Popular with socialites and bright young things, Ayala’s fine fizz was terribly fashionable in these circles, and this fuelled its success. It was so fashionable, in fact, that the house was producing one million bottles a year – certainly, a Golden Age for Ayala.

Following some sleepy years, perhaps it was the hangover of the century, the Bollinger family recognised Ayala’s heritage and reputation, and set its sights on an acquisition that aimed to give the brand a new lease of life. In 2005, the sale was completed and the powers that be at Bolly set out to restore Ayala to its golden years, while staying true to its speciality: chardonnay, and of course, the famed Le Blanc de Blancs cuvée.

Nearly 20 years on, much has changed – a series of investments and improvements in its winery, vineyards and cellars followed, and a rejuvenated look was unveiled – but the finesse of Ayala has been maintained throughout by cellar master Julian Gout. Here, he tells us more about Le Blanc de Blancs 2018, and the key characteristics that define Champagne Ayala.

TASTING NOTE 1: CHALKY MINERALITY

This 100 per cent chardonnay blend from exclusively Grands and Premiers Crus vineyards captures the purity of the chalky terroirs from the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims and is a wonderful expression of the 2018 harvest. This gives a delicious chalky minerality to the blend which is so characteristic of Maison Ayala’s signature cuvée.

TASTING NOTE 2: PURITY AND FRESHNESS

In 2018, a rainy winter and a mild spring were followed by a dry, sunny summer, heralding optimal conditions for an early harvest. This meant that grapes were plentiful and in near-perfect condition, particularly the chardonnays. Ayala is a chardonnay specialist, a grape variety that is known for producing wines of refined elegance, and the extra-brut dosage of this cuvée, at 5g per litre, contributes to the creation of a wine of outstanding purity and freshness.

TASTING NOTE 3: AROMATIC COMPLEXITY AND CREAMY TEXTURE

Grapes are sorted in the vineyard, berries and musts are tasted during the harvest and closely analysed before being subjected to a made-to-measure micro-vinification process by plot. This is followed by more than six years of ageing in the cellar which brings out the aromatic complexity and creamy texture for which the Ayala Blanc de Blancs is known.

TASTING NOTE 4: FRUIT AND PASTRY

The Le Blanc de Blancs 2018 blends six complementary crus selected from the 22 that came into the winery during the 2018 harvest. These are selected to create a wine of great expression and future vintages will be crafted in a similar way, from different crus to continue exploring the diversity of Champagne’s chardonnay terroirs. The particular crus selected for 2018 have created an extremely vivacious wine that reveals elegant aromas of pear, grapefruit and jasmine, followed by honeyed tones. On the palate it opens with notes of blood orange and pastry with beautiful bitter notes and the signature Ayala chalky minerality.

WHERE TO SIP

Press for Champagne Ayala at Bob Bob Ricard in Soho.

Champagne Ayala Le Blanc De Blancs 2018

£70.95

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