In a nutshell: Champagne AYALA is one of the oldest Champagne Houses and has always been recognised for the quality of its wines and the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder. As well as being one of the founding members of the Syndicat des Grandes Marques de la Champagne in the late 1800s, Champagne AYALA made a name for itself in the early 1900s in the thriving export market of Great Britain by pioneering a lower dosage, drier style of Champagne, which was preferred among the upper echelons of British society. This led to the House being awarded a Royal Warrant by King Edward VII in 1908.
Champagne AYALA was bought by the Bollinger family in 2005, which was the start of a resurgence for the House with a complete restoration of the winemaking facilities and a more defined AYALA style focusing on purity and balance. Today, their Cellar Master, Julian Gout, is at the helm of crafting these exceptional Chardonnay-dominant Champagnes, using grapes from an impressive palette of crus from all over the Champagne region. Julian is part of the young generation of environmentally-focused Champagne makers who are helping to shape the Champagne region of tomorrow. In order to preserve this unique diversity of crus, all grapes undergo micro-vinification in 120 small stainless-steel vats to isolate the flavour profile and structure of each parcel, cru, and vintage.
Within the range, the House’s top vintage cuvée, Perle, is riddled and disgorged by hand, a true testament to Champagne AYALA’s craftmanship. In recent years, AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs has become increasingly prominent in its category thanks to its high-quality blend exclusively from Grands and Premiers Crus from the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims. Since 2018, the House has enjoyed a partnership with SquareMeal through the AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award, spotlighting the future chefs of tomorrow.
The terroir: AYALA works with an array of more than 85 crus from the best terroirs of Champagne. This great diversity of crus brings a level of complexity and aromatic freshness to the blends. As well as their own 22 hectares of vineyards in the Montage de Reims, Côte des Blancs and Vallée de la Marne, Champagne AYALA benefits from long standing relationships with growers to guarantee the highest quality and consistency. From vine to glass, Champagne AYALA is committed to a responsible and sustainable approach by converting to organic viticulture.
The Champagne AYALA ‘personality’: The AYALA range encapsulates the purest expression and mastery of Chardonnay, the Maison’s signature grape variety. Champagne AYALA produces top quality, low-dosage wines enjoyed throughout the world for their purity and balance.
AYALA No 2016
Category:
Champagne & Sparkling Wine