Pale gold color; clementine, blood orange, grapefruit, pear, citrus, white fruit, Gala apple, jasmine, honey, pastry-brioche on the nose and palate.
Extra brut (slightly drier than brut). Chalky minerality with intriguing interplay of demure bitter notes and trace of honey on the mid-palate and persistent finish. Creamy. Extremely fine, vigorous, persistent mousse (bubbles). Fruit focus means this flirts as sweet, but as extra brut (5 g/L) it clearly is not sweet. Such is the sublimeness of wine. 12% ABV
Edmond de Ayala founded in house in 1860 in the heart of Aÿ Grand Cru. The house is a pioneer in the creation of dry, low-dosage white wines with an emphasis on purity of style and elegance of chardonnay. Ayala considers Le Blanc de Blancs its signature Champagne, and considers A/18 a unique expression of this cuvée.
This is a relatively rare pure chardonnay, vintage-dated effort. In the past, grapes for this effort came from one vineyard. Starting with with this vintage, grapes come from several grand/premier cru plots from Côtes des Blanc and Montagne de Reims. The wine ferments in stainless steel and ages on the lees for six years in the cellar to deliver aromatic complexity and its creamy texture.
The house is a sister firm to Bollinger. Champagne Bollinger acquired Ayala in 2005. Despite the Bollinger ownership, Ayala operates as an independent house with its own winemaker, vineyards, marketing, and house style. Bollinger is known for rich, oak-fermented, pinot noir-dominated cuvées. Ayala focuses on chardonnay-driven, stainless steel fermentation, and a modern, elegant style with low dosage (resulting in drier wines). In 2007, Bollinger built a new winery equipped with state-of-the-art tools for Ayala, increased production, and acquired new vineyards—reflected in this effort.
Champagne Ayala A/18 Le Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2018 is sleek, superb, pure chardonnay, vintage-dated effort, something of a rarity in Champagne. Excellent fruit. Historic house rebounds under association with Bollinger. Works well as an aperitif. Pair with starter fish dishes—oyster, scallop carpaccio, citrussy sea bass tartare, turbot in beurre blanc sauce, lemony sea bream. Poultry—turkey with endive and lime, roast chicken. Braised veal with rosemary. Cheese—brie, camembert, aged gouda, comté, parmigiano-reggiano, chaorce, salers, laguiole. $85-130
