The Blanc de Blancs A/19 cuvée from Ayala is a vintage champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay, vinified from the 2019 harvest. It is a champagne with notes of Williams pear, pink grapefruit and jasmine, with a clean freshness and a pronounced minerality. On the palate, the texture is silky on the attack, before stretching into a chalky, taut finish. Crafted with care by a distinguished Champagne house with a singular history, this rare vintage comes presented in a bespoke gift box, making it ideal for gifting.
Description & production
The Terroir
The grapes come from six Champagne villages. Four of them are located on the Côte des Blancs, all classified as Grand Cru. Chouilly brings a fleshy character; Cramant, its natural straightforwardness; Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a precise acidic architecture; Oger, a distinctive mineral signature. The chalky subsoil of these villages absorbs winter rainfall and releases it during summer droughts, ensuring a steady water supply to the vines.
Two further crus complete the blend: Cuis, Premier Cru, adds the final texture, while Vaudemange, on the Montagne de Reims, contributes an extra dimension of depth.
The winemaking
The cellar master Julian Gout oversees this cuvée through plot-by-plot vinification for each cru. The musts ferment in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Full malolactic fermentation is the historic signature of the Ayala style. The absence of oak barrels preserves the pure expression of the fruit.
This Blanc de Blancs is a still wine bottled without the addition of reserve wines — it captures the singularity of a single harvest. Ageing on lees lasts 48 months, developing aromas of toasted bread and brioche. After disgorgement, the dosage liqueur sets the dosage at 5 g/L, classifying this cuvée as Extra-Brut. Maison Ayala belongs to the Bollinger group, whose roots are firmly planted in the village of Aÿ.
The 2019 vintage
The profile of this cuvée is directly shaped by the 2019 growing season. A mild winter was followed by a dry spring, punctuated by a few stormy episodes. The summer saw three heatwave peaks, with temperatures exceeding 35°C in the vineyards, while August nights remained cool. This thermal amplitude triggered rapid berry ripening while preserving natural acidity.
Harvest began in the first week of September. The Chardonnay bunches were in impeccable condition: the daytime heat encouraged sugar accumulation, while the cool nights slowed the breakdown of malic acid. The result is a wine with a strict acidic backbone, true to the typicity of this harvest.
Tasting notes
Appearance
The colour reveals a pale gold hue shot through with silvery highlights. The effervescence rises in steady streams, animating the glass with effortless elegance.
Nose
The nose opens on aromas of Williams pear, followed by wafts of pink grapefruit. With aeration, spring jasmine scents emerge, complemented by a gentle honeyed touch.
Palate
The attack coats the palate with a silky texture. The mid-palate unfolds notes of blood orange alongside evocations of toasted bread drawn from the 48 months on lees. The finish stretches out on a chalky framework.
Food pairing suggestions
- Chaource gougères
- Cancale oysters
- Smoked salmon blinis
- Shellfish carpaccio
- Lemon sea bass tartare
- Oven-roasted turbot
- Aged Brillat-Savarin
- Delicate lemon tartlet
- Grapefruit sorbet
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it
What moves me about this cuvée is its great elegance and its frank, immediate attack. I was captivated by the balance between the freshness of the grapefruit, the jasmine and the pastry-like richness that draws out the finish.
My recommendation
Serve at 8–10 °C in a wine glass. It will pair beautifully with a scallop carpaccio or a citrus sea bass tartare.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for transporting champagne. Once received, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light. Ideally in a wine cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The acidic balance of the Blanc de Blancs A/19 cuvée allows for long ageing. The wine can evolve in the cellar for two full decades.
- Until 2029: the effervescence maintains a tactile presence alongside aromas of jasmine and fresh citrus.
- From 2030: the profile evolves towards indulgent notes of toasted brioche and honey.
- Around 2039: the cuvée acquires a patina marked by beeswax and gentle spices.
Serving suggestions
The recommended serving temperature is 10°C. A tulip-shaped glass is ideal: its narrowed opening concentrates the aromatic compounds towards the nose.
A note about this cuvée
The ephemeral A series isolates the expression of a single harvest, without seeking the annual reproducibility of the other ranges. Maison Ayala thus renews its selection with each edition, breaking away from the perpetual blending that defines cuvées such as the celebrated Rosé Majeur from Maison Ayala.
The protective gift box underscores the exclusive positioning of this vintage bottle. The commitment to a frank acidity targets discerning tasters — those seeking a mineral freshness distinct from a great Chardonnay-driven brut champagne. The refined approach expresses the vintage without seeking to mask its true identity.
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