Suckling 94 – over all the other Ayalas AND Bollingers! He says:
Intense, elegant nose, showing strawberries, lemon peel and pulp with a subtle,
brioche character. Fine mousse with crisp long acidity and a lot of substance on
mid-palate. Medium to full body, yet a cleansing, polished finish. 55% chardonnay,
30% pinot noir and 15% pinot meunier. Dosage 6g/L. Drinkable now, but best in
5-6 months, after developing more complexity.
Gilman also rates it equal to the Bollinger, saying:
The new release of Ayala “Brut Majeur” non-vintage Brut is from the base year of
2019 and composed from its customary cépages of fifty-five percent chardonnay,
thirty percent pinot noir and fifteen percent pinot meunier. The wine this year
includes forty-three percent reserve wines. It was disgorged in January of 2023
and finished with a dosage of six grams per liter. The wine delivers a refined
bouquet of apple, white peach, brioche, raw almond, chalky soil tones and a
topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, complex and
very nicely balanced, with fine depth of fruit at the core, good soil undertow,
frothy mousse and a long, vibrant and classy finish. Good juice that will age very
nicely. (Drink between 2024-2045)
