Ayala Brut Majeur (375ML half-bottle)

  • 91 James
    Suckling
  • 90 Jeb
    Dunnuck
3.4 Good (19)
35 99
OFFER Take $20 off your order of $100+
Ships Wed, Apr 3
1
Limit Reached
Alert me about new vintages and availability
Ayala Brut Majeur (375ML half-bottle) Front Bottle Shot
Ayala Brut Majeur (375ML half-bottle) Front Bottle Shot Ayala Brut Majeur (375ML half-bottle) Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Size
375ML

ABV
12%

Your Rating

0.0 Not For Me NaN/NaN/N

Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

#77 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2011

Pale gold in color with a fine mousse, the wine is aromatic on the nose. On the palate, it is well balanced and shows great finesse and complexity.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the best grand- and premier crus bring vinosity and delicacy together in a very harmoniously balanced blend.The complement of Pinot Meunier adds a charming touch of fruitiness and liveliness.

Delicious as an aperitif, Brut Majeur is also the perfect wine to serve throughout a meal. It will pair perfectly with sea food, scallops, lobster, crab, fresh or grilled fish, fish terrines, salmonor beef carpaccio, as well as with sushi and Asian cuisine.

Professional Ratings

  • 91

    Fresh and creamy Brut with lemon pith, apples, almonds, oats and hints of honey. Medium bubbles with a biscuity palate and a linear, focused finish. Chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Disgorged July 2021.

  • 90

    The Ayala team is bringing more transparency to this blend in terms of information provided on the labels as well as to its style. Based on the 2019 vintage, this release saw an increase to 55% Chardonnay, with 30% Pinot Noir and the rest Meunier, while the dosage was also reduced to 6 grams per liter. Pouring a pale silver straw hue, the NV Champagne Majeur Brut is fresh with a delicate perfume of lime blossom, yeasty, fresh bread dough, and green pear. Medium-bodied and lean on the palate, it offers a spritely mousse in a straightforward and crisp style to enjoy over the next few years. It takes on more balance and finesse than I remember from this wine in the past.

Ayala

Champagne Ayala

View all products
Champagne Ayala, France
Champagne Ayala Winery Video
Colombian by birth, in 1850 Edmond(o) de AYALA settled in the Champagne region - in the Chateau d'Aÿ to be exact. The chateau was the property of the Viscount of Mareuil, who soon taught Edmond the subtleties of the champagne business. In due time, Edmond married the Viscount's niece, whose fabulous dowry included both the Chateau d'Aÿ and the superb vineyard around it. All the conditions were in place for the creation of a Champagne House. Thus Champagne AYALA from the Chateau d'Aÿ came to be. Its notoriety spread fast, and quickly reached the shores of England.

When Edmond died, his three sons took over the business. In 1911 they suffered the "Vinegrowers Rebellion" - a revolt against the practices of certain unscrupulous Houses, who brought in grapes from outside of the region to be vinified and sold as "champagne". Even though Ayala was not on the blacklist (being totally innocent), it and the other Houses on the Boulevard du Nord in Aÿ were burned to ground by the angry mobs because there were no troops to defend them. The House was completely rebuilt and functioning by 1913. A public liability company was formed in 1922 that still exists today under the name "Champagne AYALA, Société Anonyme". Unabled to cope with the global economic crisis of the 1930s, then House was sold to an English bank before being bought by a Champagne vineyard owner: René CHAYOUX.

René CHAYOUX so trusted and respected Jean-Michel DUCELLIER, his partner since 1948, that he appointed DUCELLIER as his successor at the head of his businesses and estate. An estate that was made all the more impressive by the acquisition in 1961 of the illustrious Chateau LA LAGUNE, a Médoc Classified Third Growth in Bordeaux's Haut-Médoc region. Since 1968, Jean-Michel has with both affection and intelligence cared for the fortunes of Champagne AYALA and Chateau LA LAGUNE. The House of AYALA, a family business, is one of the few to have remained independent. Jean-Michel and his son Alain DUCELLIER who is today at the head of the company, both run it with energy and enthusiasm. They devote themselves to the status of the House's name worldwide, and they proudly receive their clients at their superb Chateau de Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.

Image for Non-Vintage content section
View all products

A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.

There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.

Image for Champagne Wine France content section
View all products

Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.

Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.

With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’

YNG183563_0 Item# 148170

Internet Explorer is no longer supported.
Please use a different browser like Edge, Chrome or Firefox to enjoy all that Wine.com has to offer.

It's easy to make the switch.
Enjoy better browsing and increased security.

Yes, Update Now

Search for ""