#17 Champagne Ayala with Julian Gout, Chef de Caves

Champagne Ayala may not share the same level of fame as its sister-House, Bollinger, but since it was acquired by Bollinger in 2005, it has been revived, reinvented and put firmly back on the champagne map. Though founded and still based in Aÿ, an area that has been historically celebrated for its pinot noir, the Maison’s focus is on chardonnay. Ayala possesses a lightness and freshness but also creamy texture that makes their champagnes very easy to drink. After recent successive and talented cellar masters have been at the helm, the Maison has seen massive leaps forward in quality improvements and modernisations. For this interview, I was in Champagne for harvest, and spoke with Julian Gout, Ayala’s cellar master since 2022, as well as Laurence Alamanos, Export Director. It’s my first podcast primarily in French, with English translation care of Laurence.