View photos

Champagne Ayala

Le Blanc de Blancs 2014

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 2014 is 100% Chardonnay from 3 Grand and 2 Premier Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs:Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cuis and Grauves. After 6 years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage (6g/l) make this an outstanding wine that can accompany a variety of flavorful dishes, or stand on its own.

Vineyard

Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2014 is 100% Chardonnay from 3 Grand and 2 Premier Cru villages on the Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cuis and Grauves. 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 fresh and lively, it shows a dazzling youthful character, followed by a broad and appetizing palate of white fruit and acacia honey with subtle pastry and brioche overtones. The finish is long and persistent, revealing a touch of chalky minerality, a signature of the Côte des Blancs, along with hints of grapefruit, blood orange and a delicate salinity.

Food Pairing

Le Blanc de Blancs 2014 is a great apéritif on its own. It will also pair perfectly with a sea bream ceviche with lemon, a prawn risotto or a veal braised with rosemary.

Vintage

2014 is a superb year for the Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs. It is a very consistent vintage with grapes that were perfectly ripened, yielding an abundant harvest especially in the Grands Crus villages. Following a winter “without winter”, a spring worthy of a summer, an autumnal August, it was an unexpected harvest thanks to the 4 sunny weeks leading up to the first grapes being cut!

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

93

"Fleshy and incisive"

Wine Advocate - March 31, 2021

"Disgorged in June 2020, Ayala's newly released 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs wafts from the glass with lovely aromas of crisp orchard fruit, honeyed pear, English walnuts and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and incisive, its ample core of fruit is underpinned by brisk acids and complemented by a pillowy mousse. After the chiseled 2013, this is a precise but somewhat more generous, enveloping wine. Even if that makes it quite approachable today, it will really come into its own when it picks up more complexity and texture with another year or two on cork."

94

"Expressive"

Wine Spectator - April 21, 2021

"Flavors of apricot and plum are ripe and abundant, carried on the refined mousse with hints of golden raisin, pink grapefruit sorbet and salted Marcona almond, in this expressive blanc de blancs. Sleek acidity is well-knit throughout, creating a mouthwatering impression on the lingering finish." - A.N. 

94

Wine Enthusiast - August 11, 2021

Full Review to be Published in October, 2021

90

"Candied lime, chalky earth"

Jeb Dunnuck - November 8, 2022

"The 2014 Champagne Le Blanc de Blancs Brut has aromas of caramel, green apple, and brioche. The palate is ripe with candied lime, chalky earth, and a softly rounded texture. " -A.F 11/22

More on Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2014

View all

New Releases from Champagne

February 1, 2021 - Forbes contributor Tom Hyland recommended Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2014 in a recent column focused on new releases. He notes "aromas of fresh lemon, yellow flowers and chamomile."…

Adjusting to the New Normal: with Ayala’s Caroline Latrive

February 1, 2021 - The trade publication, The Buyer, published a dedicated feature on Champagne Ayala. The story includes conversation highlights between writer Peter Dean and Chef de Cave Caroline Latrive, focused on how…

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.