While 2022 is in full swing, it is worth noting some of the lovely NYE Champagne recommendations for Ayala and Bollinger that published before the end of the year in Wine Enthusiast, Robb Report, USA Today, The Manual and Uproxx:
Wine Enthusiast Digital Editorial Assistant Jaime Brown said she loves investing in a rosé Champagne for the holiday, and selected Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur to welcome 2022. “Its sweet, red-fruit notes and airy, expressive bubbles pair well with our traditional order of Chinese food and sushi.”
Robb Report recommends Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2015 as “a vivid, pure expression of Chardonnay.” Continuing, writer Sara Schneider notes that wines opens “with a sexy swirl of golden apple, high-toned florals, honeycomb and puff pastry, the wine builds, with a super-fine bead, into layers of citrus—lemon curd, orange peel—and fresh white stone fruit around a core of beautiful minerality that lingers on a long, lovely finish.”
The Manual featured Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2014, adding “right from the start, this wine is fresh and lively, followed by a broad and appetizing palate of white fruit and acacia honey with subtle pastry and brioche overtones. The finish is long and persistent, revealing a touch of chalky minerality, a signature of the Côte des Blancs, along with hints of grapefruit, blood orange, and a delicate salinity.” Additionally, the article recommends Champagne Bollinger R.D. 2007 – stating that this expression “pushes the craft to the next level with a mastery of time and rarity” and that this vintage “offers an extraordinary contrast of freshness and complexity from age.”
Uproxx recommends Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée as its #1 recommendation. The write up offers historical background on Bollinger, adding that through “the guidance of Lily Bollinger post-WWII, the brand became the champagne the adventurers, jet-setters, and so-called cool kids drank.” USA Today also recommends Bollinger’s flagship wine for holiday celebrations, noting that Special Cuvée “is a benchmark Champagne when it comes to balance and freshness.”
All stories here: Wine Enthusiast, Uproxx, Robb Report, The Manual, USA Today
Related Wines
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger R.D. 2007
Champagne, France
A small revolution in the world of Champagne. In 1967, Bollinger releases R.D. 1952. There is no comparable Champagne on the market at the time. This bold and brilliant Champagne takes the pillars of what makes Champagne Bollinger so unique, and pushes them to their ultimate level. It is, very simply, a masterpiece.
Champagne Ayala
Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2014
Champagne, France
Ayala’s Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, produced in small quantities in exceptional years only, fully expresses the superb caliber of great Chardonnay from the best crus of the Côte des Blancs. After 6 years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage make this an outstanding wine.
Champagne Ayala
Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2015
Champagne, France
Ayala’s Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay, produced in small quantities in exceptional years only, fully expresses the superb caliber of great Chardonnay from the best crus of the Côte des Blancs. After six years of aging in Ayala’s cellars, remarkable minerality and low dosage make this an outstanding wine.
Champagne Ayala
Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur NV
Champagne, France
Rosé Majeur is the perfect embodiment of the originality and finesse of the House's wines. Made predominantly from Chardonnay, it is crafted with the addition of a small proportion of still Pinot Noir from the best crus of the Montagne de Reims. A low dosage enables it to express the House style, both feminine and generous, with great elegance.
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée NV
Champagne, France
From vineyard to bottling, Special Cuvée sees such an extraordinary level of care and attention, it is difficult to place within the non-vintage or, really, any Champagne category. It is a Champagne that stands apart. Within one bottle, all the complexity of flavour, texture and pleasure that Champagne can offer. Special Cuvée is truly a journey of devotion from Bollinger.
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Champagne Ayala
Champagne, France
Ayala is one of the most exciting stories in Champagne today, almost the definition of a boutique Champagne producer. Independently owned, a small, young and dynamic team handles every step of production from grape reception to labeling in their jewel of a facility with incredible precision, crafting Chardonnay-focused wines that deliver immense pleasure, freshness, and elegance.
Champagne Bollinger
Champagne, France
Bollinger is one of the rare Grande Marques that’s still family owned. Known for its rich, elegant and polished style of Champagne, their outstanding wines are the result of rigorous attention to detail and incredibly labor-intensive practices that few houses are willing to undertake. Underscoring its excellence, Bollinger has remained British secret agent James Bond's Champagne of choice since 1973.
