Champagne AYALA, one of the original Grandes Marques, was one of the first to pioneer a drier style of champagne with low and zero-dosage wines that have a Chardonnay focus, AYALA’s signature style being purity and balance; the House was granted a royal warrant early last century.
Ayala was purchased by Champagne Bollinger in 2005
Low dosage styles feature heavily in a tutored masterclass to launch Champagne AYALA Blanc de Blancs A/19 and a series of new wines. We start with AYALA’s most popular and historical cuvée AYALA Brut Majeur in magnum. It is a multi-vintage, multi-cru blend with grapes from all the 70 different crus with 40% reserve wine. The Magnum is 55% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 15% Meunier. Low dosage at 6g/l. It has an elegant, light style with a mineral freshness and long-lasting aromas of citrus, white fruits and flowers.
AYALA Blanc de Blancs A/19 new release
All AYALA’s Blanc de Blancs are extra-brut. Just released is AYALA le Blanc de Blancs A/19 (100% Chardonnay.) ‘A’ stands for AYALA with the year of harvest and this and the label style for their Blanc de Blancs was launched last year. It is a blend from Premier and Grand Crus from the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims and unveils elegant aromas of pear and grapefruit with notes of blood orange and pastry and a slight bitterness and chalky minerality. It has youth on its side and will age well.
AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2016
The older AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2016 is also 5g/l dosage. We taste the wine in magnum. It is moreish, elegant and fresh, perfect to drink now. It shows fine bubbles, a pure and creamy style and is one of the favourites from the tasting. AYALA’s Blanc de Blancs are produced in limited quantities in exceptional years only.
Laurence Tellier Périer, marketing director, Champagne AYALA
Collection Oenothèque library releases
Some older vintages are still available in the AYALA cellar and the maison decided to create a ‘Collection Oenothèque’ to add to its portfolio. The AYALA Le Blanc de Blancs 2012 is solely from the Grand Crus in the Côte Des Blancs and has been released under the label Collection Oenothèque and is excellent to compare with the 2016. It is surprisingly fresh, with a silky texture and has a slightly higher dosage at 6g/l. It is referred to as the essence of Chardonnay from an exceptional vintage year.
Collection Terroir - limited editions
The AYALA ‘Collection Terroir’ is also a limited edition cuvée with individually numbered bottles. The first opus of the edition is the AYALA Collection No16. Each year the chef de caves, Julian Gout, creates a specific project, though not all are released to the market. The No16 is a fascinating union of crus and grape varieties. The blend is 50% Chardonnay and 50% old grape varieties including Arbane, Petit Meslier and Pinot Blanc. It is made with Chardonnay from three crus in the Cote des Blancs, Chouilly, Cramant and Oger, together with varieties Arbane, Pinot Blanc and Petit Mesler from Aÿ, Avenay and Cuis respectively. It has a silky elegant mouthfeel with great freshness and a lengthy saline finish.
Single vineyard wines
The final champagne in the tasting is AYALA Collection No18 which is the first Blanc de Blancs from the Grand Cru of Aÿ crafted by the champagne house. It is made exclusively from the Cocheret Plot, situated on a south-facing slope planted with vines averaging 50 years old which give a great aromatic complexity to the cuvée. Interestingly, on the palate it has amplitude and a creamy texture and the No18 could almost be a Pinot Noir, even though it is 100% Chardonnay!
The AYALA cellars before the recent renovation
AYALA has been renovating its site and has opened a new winery and cellar facility in Aÿ this year, mindful of energy efficiency where no air conditioning is required. Housing 120 small stainless steel tanks, AYALA uses micro-vinification to ensure the integrity of each cru, and grape variety. Every wine is produced on site, with only grapes (and not base wines) brought in. Fifty of the seventy crus are Chardonnay, farmed by over 100 winegrowers. AYALA’s own seven hectares are certified organic since the 2025 harvest.
Bollinger focuses on Pinot Noir, so AYALA’s focus on high percentages of Chardonnay and 100% Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs is a perfect distinction. The masterclass demonstrates the maison’s expertise not just to produce multi-cru, multi-vintage fine champagnes, but its commitment to refine characterful Blanc de Blancs and special collections showing remarkable precision and elegance.
The tasting line-up in full. October 13, 2026.
Champagne AYALA Blanc de Blancs A/19 and the rest of the AYALA wines are imported and distributed by Mentzendorff which is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
