Ayala Champagne: Wine Styles, 10 Best Bottles To Buy in 2024

Known for their elegance and freshness, Ayala Champagnes are stunning blends of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. 

They’re made by the prestigious Champagne Ayala, a 19th-century pioneer in crafting a drier style of Champagne with low dosage levels.

Maison Ayala is situated in the heart of Ay and is owned by the Bollinger family.

In this article, we’ll explore the beautiful Ayala Champagne, including its styles, 10 best bottles, and food pairings. We’ll also take a quick tour of the history of Maison Ayala and its winemaking practices.

Ayala Champagne Styles

Here are Ayala Champagne’s outstanding wine styles:

1. Brut Majeur

In Brut Majeur, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier enhance the freshness of Chardonnay, highlighting the Ayala style perfectly. This white wine is made from grapes cultivated on exceptional Grand Crus, including the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. 

2. Brut Nature

The Brut Nature blend mainly comprises Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with slight traces of Meunier for finesse and balance. The grapes used for this Cuvee undergo prolonged autolysis, bringing out its extraordinary flavors.

3. Rose Majeur

Rose Majeur is a sweet wine embodying a wonderful blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims. The low dosage of the wine contributes to its freshness and elegance.

4. Le Blanc de Blancs

Made from the best Chardonnay of the Côte des Blancs, Le Blanc de Blancs is pale gold and has a lovely youthful glint. It also displays a silky texture, lovely freshness, and great aromatic diversity.

5. La Perle

La Perle is crafted predominantly using Chardonnay and showcases the beautiful Ayala style with intensity. These quality wines are aged for at least 8 years to develop complex aromas, finesse, and refreshing purity.

10 Stunning Bottles From Champagne Ayala

Here are 10 hand-picked Ayala Champagnes, including their prices and tasting notes:

• 2002 Ayala 'Perle d'Ayala' Brut Millesime
• NV Ayala Cuvee Rose Nature
• 1999 Ayala Brut Millesime
• NV Ayala Rose No. 8 Brut
• 2007 Ayala No. 7 Brut
• 2008 Ayala Blanc de Blancs Brut
• NV Ayala Rosé Majeur Brut
• NV Ayala Brut Nature
• NV Ayala Brut Majeur
• NV Ayala Rich Majeur Demi-Sec

1. 2002 Ayala 'Perle d'Ayala' Brut Millesime ($167)

This vintage presents a bouquet of lemon, orange, and golden plum scents. It’s an elegant wine with pure lemon juice flavors and an acidic finish.

2. NV Ayala Cuvee Rose Nature ($135) 

Here’s a bone-dry sparkling wine with raspberry and yeast flavors complementing bright acidity and freshness. It greets the nose with earthy, mineral, and red flower notes.

3. 1999 Ayala Brut Millesime ($110)

This sparkling wine unravels the freshness of green apple and pink grapefruit on the palate. Its nose showcases smoke, tea, and brioche aromas.

4. NV Ayala Rose No. 8 Brut ($104)

This wine has a creamy mouthfeel and pronounced acidity, with tangerine and mint notes. It flaunts strawberry, raspberry, and lime aromas.

5. 2007 Ayala No. 7 Brut ($92)

Sourced from the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs Grand Crus, this vintage leaves toast and candied ginger notes on the palate. It opens with lemon oil and white flower aromas. 

6. 2008 Ayala Blanc de Blancs Brut ($83) 

This vintage showcases glazed apricot and spiced plum flavors. It gives up bread crust, croissant, and buttery fragrances.

7. NV Ayala Rosé Majeur Brut ($53)

Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this wine features floral, strawberry, and white peach flavor notes. This pale gold wine boasts a fine mousse and a lovely youthful glint.

8. NV Ayala Brut Nature ($43)

This Brut Nature wine releases stone fruit, crushed citrus, and toasted bread aromas. It also offers grapefruit, lemon, and peach flavors with a fine mousse.

9. NV Ayala Brut Majeur ($43)

On the palate, this Brut Majeur reveals lemon peel, green apple, and biscuit notes. It displays red berry and peppercorn scents on the nose. 

10. NV Ayala Rich Majeur Demi-Sec ($38) 

Here’s an Ayala Champagne delivering honey, dried fruit, and pineapple scents. The wine balances out the richness in flavor with its fine acidity.

How are these delicious Ayala Champagnes made?

The best grapes plucked by hand from their Grand Crus undergo micro-vinification in stainless steel vats with a low dosage — that brings out the grapes’ best characteristics. 

Later, the winery ages the wine in cellars for 6-12 years with lees, imparting complex aromas.

Delicious Food Pairings With Ayala Champagne

You can pair Ayala Champagne with seafood, like white fish, shellfish, oysters, sea urchins, and prawns. These high-quality wines also taste amazing with poultry, cheeses, lamb chops, or red fruit tart.

Let’s rewind to the winery’s eventful past as well.

The Captivating History of Champagne Ayala

Situated in the heart of Ay, Maison Ayala is one of the original Grandes Marques (members of the Union des Maisons de Champagne) Champagne Houses. It was founded by Edmond de Ayala in 1860. 

His brother, Fernand de Ayala, developed a commercial branch in Great Britain, introducing the wine to British connoisseurs.

The Bollinger family acquired the Champagne House in 2005, rejuvenating the brand through massive investments. Currently, the House is managed by the former Secretary-General of Champagne Bollinger, Hadrien Mouflard, and the talented cellar master, Caroline Latrive. 

Add A Bottle Of Ayala Champagne To Your Collection!

Ayala Champagnes are not only famous for their flavors but also for their rich history. Having been around for over a century, these wines are always sought after by the wine enthusiast community.

However, the Ayala Champagnes are not investment-grade.

Now, if you wish to buy the finest Champagnes with the best investment potential, check out Vinovest — an AI-based that lets you buy, store, and sell investment-grade wine bottles from anywhere in the world.