Wine of the week: the epitome of affordable elegance

The flavour of this bubbly obliterates all but a handful of Champagnes with three-digit price tags.

2007 Ayala, No.7 Brut, Champagne, France 

£58, thefinestbubble.com; £70, thechampagnecompany.com, champagnedirect.co.uk; £560 per 12 bottles in bond, biwine.com

I have a soft spot for Ayala. I visited the winery 13 years ago and asked them to keep back several hundred cases of their fizz in their cellars, in Aÿ, for an extra nine months over the usual three years, to differentiate it from the regular Brut Majeur cuvée. A label saying “extra age”  was stuck on the neck. This special label was a huge success for the members of a private club, but it was not on general release. It was a cool project and the wine was sublime.

Imagine my surprise when I spotted a bottle at a Majestic tasting the other day, labelled Ayala Extra Age (£44.99, reduced to £34.99 for a Mix Six) – it brought the memories flooding back and reminded me that I had to tell you about my featured wine, the moment it secured retail distribution. 

Tasted back in early June, this sensational sparkler was made to celebrate Ayala’s 160th anniversary this year. Available in very small quantities, 2007 No.7 is made from the fruit selected from seven Grand Cru villages – two-thirds chardonnay from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, and one-third pinot noir from Aÿ and Verzy. It is finished with a firm 6 gm/l dosage and, after 11 years of (extra) ageing, it is the epitome of affordable elegance. I say “affordable” because its flavour obliterates all but a handful of Champagnes with three-digit price tags.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

Recommended

The best 0% balance-transfer credit cards
Credit cards

The best 0% balance-transfer credit cards

These 0% balance transfer credit cards offer some of the best deals on the market today.
26 May 2023
Where do we go from here?
Investments

Where do we go from here?

A new series of interviews from MoneyWeek
26 May 2023
Best savings accounts – May 2023
Savings

Best savings accounts – May 2023

Interest rates have been creeping up - we look at the best savings accounts on the market right now.
26 May 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
26 May 2023

Most Popular

Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers
Personal finance

Nationwide to give £100 cash boost to customers

Nationwide Building Society is giving customers £100 as it reinvests profits. Dubbed the Nationwide Fairer Share scheme, we look at who is eligible.
22 May 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - May 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
26 May 2023
Energy price cap slashed by 17% ‒ millions to see lower energy bills
Energy

Energy price cap slashed by 17% ‒ millions to see lower energy bills

Typical households on default energy tariffs will see their energy bills drop by £426 a year following today's energy price cap drop.
25 May 2023