2018 Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs A18, Champagne

Lemony and pristine with aspirin-like tension. Light-bodied, showing superzesty tangerine flavors with bright fruit definition and good length. It might lack complexity at the moment but is poised to develop lots of energy, elegance and nerviness. Drinkable now but best in two or three years.

93 points jamessuckling.com July 2025

Vinified entirely in steel and disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of five grams per liter, Ayala’s 2018 Le Blanc de Blancs A/18 is sourced from the villages of Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Bisseuil and Cuis. The wine rises from the glass with a flamboyant bouquet of pear, peach and grapefruit zest mingling with quince and cherry plum. On the palate, it is full-bodied and broad-shouldered, ample and textural, defined by a powerful musculature and a generous fruit core underpinned by ripe acidity, concluding with an enveloping finish. As is often the case in this vintage, a touch more tension would lend greater balance, yet its open-knit profile delivers immediate charm and promises a generous drinking window.

91+ points robertparker.com

Purchased by Bollinger in 2005, this maison today owns 22 hectares of vineyards, cultivated organically since 2022 and officially certified organic as of 2025. In addition, it sources grapes from some 100 growers, representing the equivalent of another 100 hectares. Reflecting Ayala’s steady progress in estate management and its forward-looking approach to viticulture, 80% of these contracted growers have already abandoned the use of herbicides in their vineyards. Since 2022, Ayala’s cellar master has been Julien Gout, who continues the pursuit of elevating the house’s quality. Notably, the house consolidates its entire production process—from must reception to bottling—at a single site in the village of Aÿ.

Vinification takes place in small stainless steel tanks, organized by village, grape variety and even supplier. This approach enables partner growers to taste the vins clairs from their own parcels before they are blended into the maison’s cuvées. Élevage typically lasts around nine months, with all wines undergoing full malolactic fermentation. The winery is preparing for expansion, set to increase its number of vinification tanks from 120 to 200. Recently, the house has also begun vinifying small portions of wine in oak, which will play a role in future blends.

Today, Ayala stands as an increasingly dependable source of vintage wines that highlight Chardonnay—in contrast to Bollinger’s Pinot Noir predominance—and, within the context of major houses, their Champagnes are released with a comparatively low dosage. Even if some Champagnes are obviously stronger than others, the wines would be more captivating if the progress in the vineyards, admirable in itself, could be married with greater precision and depth across the entire range.

2018 Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs A18 is a beautifully refined and terroir precise vintage Champagne, crafted exclusively from Chardonnay grown in the great chalk heartland of the Côte des Blancs. Ayala’s long association with villages such as Cramant, Chouilly and Le Mesnil sur Oger ensures fruit of exceptional purity, natural acidity and mineral detail. The 2018 season brought ripe, expressive fruit while still retaining the crystalline tension essential for a Blanc de Blancs of this calibre. Whole bunch pressing preserves delicacy, and after secondary fermentation the wine rests for years on lees in Ayala’s deep Aÿ cellars, slowly gaining creamy complexity while staying true to the house’s signature style of freshness and finesse.

The aromatics are lifted, elegant and quietly luxurious. Lemon zest, green apple and white nectarine form the bright core, joined by grapefruit pith and subtle pear. Lees ageing introduces notes of almond pastry, brioche and toasted hazelnut, while the chalk soils contribute crushed stone, oyster shell and a cool saline flutter. As it opens, more nuance appears in the form of white florals, acacia honey and a hint of verbena. It is both pure and deeply textural on the nose.

The palate is precise, silky and finely driven. A delicate, persistent bead carries citrus and orchard fruit across a sleek frame, where wild fermentation complexity and gentle autolysis bring subtle creaminess. Flavours of lemon curd, apple tart, white peach, almond and nougat build in elegant layers, all guided by a vibrant mineral line that gives structure and length. The finish is long and ultra-clean with lingering citrus oil, chalky energy and a touch of pastry richness. It will evolve beautifully over the next decade, developing deeper honeyed and nutty characters while retaining its fine spine.

A stunning pairing for oysters, caviar, sashimi, lobster, crab ravioli, delicate chicken dishes, triple cream cheeses or celebratory aperitif moments when something truly sophisticated is required.