In thirty years of existence, the confidential cuvée of the house of Aÿ has delivered only thirteen vintages. The latest, 2015, is unveiled today in magnum.
Some champagnes are defined by their regularity; Perle, the rarest cuvée of the house of Ayala, is defined by its very rarity. Since the house was founded by Edmond de Ayala in 1860, this always-vintage wine has left the cellar only twelve times before this one: 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2012 and 2013. AYALA Perle 2015, the thirteenth act of this very confidential story, marks a double anniversary: the cuvée’s thirty years of existence and its first-ever launch in magnum format.
The very name Perle tells an image: that of a jewel preciously hidden in the darkness of the house’s Champagne cellars, in Aÿ. Made from a vintage the house describes as exceptional, the 2015 cuvée displays a precise and elegant expression in which freshness, complexity and depth answer one another. Its launch in magnum is not an isolated commercial gesture: the format enhances the wine and underlines its gastronomic vocation as much as its capacity to evolve over time — two qualities that the large format traditionally favours through slower and more harmonious ageing.
Julian Gout, the house’s cellar master, offers an almost sensory reading: “To the eye, a deep gold with delicate bubbles. On the nose, aromas of toasted bread, blond tobacco and hazelnut are followed by notes of dried flowers with a hint of eucalyptus, signature of the Pinots of Aÿ. On the palate, notes of candied citrus, typical of the Côte des Blancs, create a surprise in a vintage as warm as 2015.” He continues: “The palate carries on with gourmand notes of cocoa and dried fruit. Fine bitters, present throughout the tasting, give structure to this wine of great length on the palate. A subtle balance between freshness, complexity and generosity.”
This description sketches a wine that is both sunny and structured, in which the freshness characteristic of the Aÿ style converses with the warmth of the 2015 vintage — a year that Champagne enthusiasts generally associate with generosity and maturity. The house also recommends pairings along these lines: aged cheeses such as Parmesan or Comté, a perfect egg with raw ceps, linguine with cockles and garlic, or a caramelised French toast — a range that runs from mineral savoury to gourmand sweet, revealing the versatility sought for this cuvée.
AYALA Perle 2015 in magnum is available from the best wine merchants at a public price of 330 euros. A price which, for a confidential cuvée limited to thirteen releases in thirty years, reads less as the price of a product than as that of an access: that of entering, for the span of a bottle, the discreet story the house of Ayala has been building since 1860, one release at a time.
Also on Luxsure: Ayala Perle 2015: silence as a signature · AYALA Perle 2015: an exceptional cuvée revealed after eight years of maturation · Château Cantenac Brown 2016: a Margaux shaped by adversity · Winter in high season: champagne at the pace of exceptional produce
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