Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs Brut 2016 (750ml)
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Description
Ayala's Blanc de Blancs is made entirely from Chardonnay grown in Champagne's chalky soils, and the 2016 vintage shows the house style with clarity and precision. Champagne made by the traditional method, with secondary fermentation in the bottle, gains complexity and finesse over time. This wine has been aged on its lees to build texture and depth.
The nose opens with lime and smoke, layered with hazelnut and hints of brown pastry and dried tropical fruit. On the palate, bright acidity carries flavors of lemon, lime, and green apple, with a thread of basil and white pepper running through. The finish is toasty and rounded, with a touch of marzipan sweetness and spice lingering on the close. It's an expressive, forward wine that drinks beautifully now, offering both immediate appeal and enough structure to develop further in the cellar.
Expert Reviews
Lime, smoke, and hazelnut aromas, with a lovely brown tarty pastry note and some dried tropical fruits and cocoa. Fresh acidity with flavours of lemon, lime juice, basil, apple and a bit of white pepper. Toasty and rounded.
The 2016 Le Blanc de Blancs is one of the better wines I have tasted here of late. Exuberant and quite expressive, the 2016 soars with cents of lemon confit, marzipan and sweet spice, all in a forward, open-knit style that offers good near-term appeal. All this needs is a bit more focus in its bouquet, but is still a big step up from the past. Light tropical accents linger on the close.