View photos

Champagne Ayala

Le Blanc de Blancs 2013

Champagne, France

Download

Ayala’s Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, produced in small quantities in exceptional years only and fully expresses the superb caliber of great Chardonnay from the best crus of the Côte des Blancs. It is truly a unique vintage offering.

Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2013 is 100% Chardonnay from 3 Grand and 2 Premier Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Cramant (25%), Chouilly (23%), Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (14%), Cuis (25%) and Vertus (13%). After 6 years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage make this an outstanding wine that can accompany a variety of flavorful dishes, or stand on its own.

Vineyard

Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2013 is 100% Chardonnay from 3 Grand and 2 Premier Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Cramant (25%), Chouilly (23%), Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (14%), Cuis (25%) and Vertus (13%). Ayala currently owns 35 acres in Champagne. Thanks to its privileged location in the heart of the Grand Crus of Montagne de Reims and their link to Bollinger, they also have unique access to top quality grapes.

Winemaking

Everything from grape reception to vinification, aging, riddling and disgorgement is done at the Ayala cellars. The Blanc des Blancs rests on the lees in the cellar for 6 years after disgorgement, in order to develop complexity, intensity and roundness on the palate.

Tasting Note

Right from the start, this wine is striking, yet voluptuous and vibrant, showing a silky texture with a lively edge, and finishing with a balanced bittersweet flavor. It releases notes of passion fruits, citrus fruit, ripe white fruit such as vine peaches, and subtle notes of acacia honey that bring a velvety sensation. The long finish is tightly wound on the pure line of characteristic chalky minerality for which the Côte des Blancs is famous.

Food Pairing

The purity of its aromatic character makes Blanc de Blancs 2013 the perfect epicurean apéritif, but it can also pair well with a variety of white fish, like turbot or john dory. Ideal to complement a wild sea bass with lemon butter, a pink peppercorn seasoned sea scallop carpaccio or lobster in a vanilla sauce.

Vintage

The 2013 vintage was one of the latest in the last decade. The Chardonnays on the Côte des Blancs were harvested at the beginning of October, before the rains and storms arrived. The year’s production brought an abundance of very high quality grapes with wonderful balance,which contribute to the outstanding complexity of this vintage.

Color

White

Grape Varieties

Chardonnay

Appellation

Champagne, France

Farming

Ayala encourages their growers to use organic fertilizers and avoid insecticides, herbicides and pesticides.

Alcohol

12%

Suggested Retail Price

$110.00

Reviews

91

"Well-knit and bright"

Wine Spectator - October 29, 2019 "Toast and spice notes enrich the lemon curd, glazed apricot and candied ginger flavors in this racy Champagne, with a fine, lively bead. Well-knit and bright, featuring a minerally finish."

93

"Count me impressed"

Jeb Dunnuck - March 27, 2020 "The 2013 Le Blanc de Blancs from Ayala is 100% Chardonnay sourced from three Grand Cru villages and 2 Premier Cru villages, all on the Côtes des Blancs. It offers a classic Blanc de Blancs nose of crushed citrus and lemon curd as well as notes of white flowers, toasted almonds, and freshly baked bread. Rich, medium-bodied, and beautifully textured on the palate, it shows the cooler, pure, focused style of the vintage yet has terrific depth and length. Count me impressed."

94

"Vibrant and intense"

Wine Advocate - May 1, 2020 "Disgorged in November 2018, Ayala's 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs offers up an elegant bouquet of lemon oil, English walnuts, crisp yellow apples, linden blossom and hints of praline to come with bottle age. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with racy acids, a delicate mousse and a fine-boned, elegant profile. Concluding with a long and nicely defined finish, this vibrant and intense wine is one of the finest wines Ayala has released for some time."

95

"A picture of elegance and lightness"

Decanter - November 2, 2020 "A first whiff of lemon zest immediately sets the tone. More air and swirling then reveals a backdrop of chalk but also the enticing, cloudlike zestiness of lemon meringue pie. The palate comes in on very light feet – on tiptoe, in fact – but rather than mouth-puckering lemon, you get ultra-light, exquisite creaminess that almost has an edge of lemon oil, bedded on soft, gentle autolysis. A picture of elegance and lightness."

More on Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2013

View all

Gifts of the Season: Worth’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

October 22, 2019 - Luxury business publication WORTH has published its anticipated 2019 print and online gift guide, which features Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs. The recommendations range from high tech toys, jewelry, wine &…

Holiday Gift Guide 2019: The Top Prestige Cuvée Champagnes

October 22, 2019 - Forbes included Champagne Ayala as one its top recommendations of prestige champagnes to consider this holiday season, describing the House as "small, independent and family-owned." Writer Lauren Mowery explains that…

Trade Materials

View all

Other Wines by this Producer

View all

Brut Majeur

Champagne, France

Brut Majeur is the epitome of a non-vintage brut from a great, historic House and is the finest ambassador for the House’s freshness and elegance. A blend of the finest Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, coupled with extended ageing in Ayala's cellars and a low dosage make this wine suitable for any occasion.

N° 14 Rosé

Champagne, France

N° 14 is the third opus from the "COLLECTION AYALA," a set of cuvees produced in limited quantities, unveiled only as they approach their peak level of drinkability. This ephemeral cuvee is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir — including Grand Cru Aÿ red wine.

No° 7

Champagne, France

Champagne Ayala’s No.7 is the second opus from the “The Ayala Collection”, a series of unique cuvée created to express the specificity of a vintage and a selection of exceptional crus through the lens of this boutique Maison.  Produced in limited quantities and released only upon indication that the elements in this wine are integrated and evolved to a point of perfect harmony.

Brut Nature

Champagne, France

Brut Nature, cellar-aged for almost 4 years, demonstrates to perfection the high quality of grapes used by the House to craft its wines, and its remarkable expertise in vinification. Being non-dosage, its purity and precision make it an ideal partner for seafood, in particular raw fish and shellfish, or oysters.

Rosé Majeur

Champagne, France

Rosé Majeur is the perfect embodiment of the originality and finesse of the House’s wines. Made predominantly from Chardonnay it is crafted with the addition of a small proportion of Pinot Noir from the best crus of the Montagne de Reims. A low dosage enables it to express the House style, both feminine and generous, with great elegance.