NV Ayala Majeur

Issuing predominantly from the 2021 vintage and enriched with approximately 40% reserve wines dating back to 2016, the NV Brut Majeur—disgorged in October 2024 with a dosage of six grams per liter—unfurls from the glass with aromas evocative of crisp peach, orange zest and nashi pear with a subtle hint of thyme. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, chiseled and incisive, displaying a taut structure and vibrant core of fruit underpinned by bright acidity, with a youthfully frothy mousse and a saline finish. It reflects the spirit of the vintage with all its attributes.

A layered wine with spicy, almost stony, minerality. Salted lemons and oranges. Crisp on the palate with light to medium body and flavors of strawberries and restrained pastry. Chalky mineral aftertaste. Dosage 6 g/L. Disgorged November 2024. Drink or hold.

The NV Champagne Brut Majeur is a medium straw color and has a nose that’s fresh and delicate with notes of citrus pith, ripe pear, white peach, and bread dough. Medium-bodied, it’s delicately fruity, with a frothy mousse and a chalky, pithy texture through the finish. It has a nice cleansing feel and is very well-suited as a versatile aperitif. The base wine is 2021, with 40% reserve, sourced from 2020 to 2016, and tit’s made from 55% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and the remainder Meunier, with 6 grams per liter dosage. Drink over the near term. Drink 2025-2030. Founded in 1860, Ayala is based in Aÿ with a focus on Chardonnay. In November 2022, Julian Gout was promoted to cellar master after a four-year tenure as deputy cellarmaster, succeeding Caroline Latrive, who has moved to Deutz. All the wines are vinified in small stainless steel tanks and undergo malolactic fermentation, receiving relatively low dosage levels ranging from zero to seven grams per liter. In 2018, they constructed an additional winery, which increased their capacity by 3,300 hectoliters.