Our F&B Manager Natasja Noorlander can certainly appreciate a good glass of Champagne. On a tasting, she got introduced to the excitingly elegant style of Ayala, a smaller Champagne house that produces high-quality Champagnes in relatively low quantities. Little did it take to convince Natasja that the unique history and the values we have in common, would make Ayala a great house Champagne for The Dylan…
Founded in 1860 by Edmond de Ayala in Aÿ, the house has a very rich history. As a true pioneer, Ayala was the first to develop and introduce a drier style of Champagne, something that is still in the DNA of the house today. In 1865 they introduced a cuvée with only 21 grams of sugar per liter, as Edmond de Ayala really wanted to bring out the purity and finesse of the wine, appreciating its primary aromas. This was a rather bold move, as the traditional French dosage at the time was 150 grams per liter, but it was widely appreciated. This new way of producing Champagne did not only put Ayala on the map, but it marked the beginning of a wider adoption of drier style Champagnes in general.
Over the years Ayala had a difficult time keeping up with the ever competitive wine market, and of course two world wars didn’t really help. Ayala continued to exist, but did not have the resources nor the manpower grow and further develop the house’s full potential.
That all changed when the house was acquired by the Bollinger family in 2005. To restore the sleeping beauty of Aÿ to its former greatness, they started by constructing a new winery in 2007 with modern day vinification tools, which was the first step into the ambition of redeploying Ayala on the international stage. The family also invested heavily in collaborations with winegrowers in the region, acquired new vineyards and renovated and renewed their cellars. All in all, the focus on improving the product was on top of their agendas.
Slowly but certainly they succeeded and they were able to increase their production slightly, producing a consistent supply of Champagne. Their next step was to find like-minded partners, which take the same pride in their product, and share the same values. Ayala has mastered a delicate balance between heritage and innovation, something that is rather familiar to us here at The Dylan. After extensive tasting and even a visit to the winery in the Champagne region by Natasja, a new partnership was born. Natasja: ‘we are happy that due to their slightly increased, and now consistent production, they can supply us. We are proud to be the only hotel in The Netherlands that serves Ayala by the glass, and as the house still values its exclusivity and elegance, I feel it’s a great match’.
Apart from their rich history as pioneer of drier style Champagne, Ayala sets itself apart from other producers as their cuvees are all chardonnay driven. They use over 50% chardonnay in their blends and source their grapes from a diversity of Grand Cru, Premier Cru & villages to craft their wines. Next to that, all of their wines age considerably longer than the appellation requires: 3 years for their Brut Majeur, 6 years for their Blanc de Blancs and an impressive 10 years for their prestige cuvée ‘La Perle’. This all results in beautiful wines with rather low residual sweetness, a drier, more pure and complex taste, across the full spectrum of all their cuvees.
Their Brut Majeur, is our house Champagne. The addition of the word ‘Majeur’ underlines the quality of their standard cuvee, which low sugar levels of only 7 grams per litre (as nowadays, 13 grams per liter is customary), is an exemplary introduction to the house’s style.
‘It is fresh, but also has some depth and more complexity than other Champagnes because of the high percentage of Chardonnay, which makes it an exciting glass to drink on any occasion.’
– Natasja Noorlander
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