A Vintage Côte des Blancs Stunner at Half the Price

The allure of Côte des Blancs Champagne is easy to understand—the Chardonnay from this area provides us with generosity, creaminess, but thanks to the chalk soil and the extreme northern location of the region, it also gives us the ultimate in refreshment. I have had two bottles of the excellent 2013 Ayala Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne over the last couple of weeks, and it has all the virtues of this great style of Champagne. On top of that, it is an unbelievable value, selling elsewhere for $100, but we are lucky enough to be able to offer it at $49.99.

The late 2013 vintage was not an overall success in the Champagne region, but for those of you who have tasted the Franck Bonville Vintage offering from this harvest, know what a success it could be for Chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs. That Bonville was the fastest wine to sell out in the history of our Champagne club, and I think that this Ayala might offer even better value. Now owned by Bollinger with chef de cave Caroline Latrive at the helm, this house returns to greatness. The Champagne is composed of entirely Grand and Premier Cru Chardonnay, 25% Cramant, 25% Cuis, 23% Chouilly, 14% Mesnil, and 13% Vertus and is vinified in stainless steel. That being said, I found it to be incredibly creamy and rich until it snapped back on the very dry and fresh finish, partially thanks to the low, 6g per liter dosage but I think mostly due to harvesting at the right moment and the six years of aging on the lees.

I tasted this the first time while closing the store with the crew, and it showed wonderfully on its own. The creamy texture and fine bead really shined. Having it at home with a trout and salmon mousse sealed the deal—this Champagne has the power for food as well as the grace to stand on its own. Both times the wine showed gorgeous white flowers framing the fresh toast on the nose. In the mouth, it is a rounder blanc de blancs, with excellent white peach-like fruit. The turnaround on the finish is what makes this wine truly special—it is so refreshing and long due to the high acidity of the 2013 harvest and the deft use of dosage. This wine should age for a long time if you like it—don’t be afraid to lose a few in the cellar. It will make a great story in ten years when you say that you only paid $49.99 for it!

A toast to you!

Gary Westby