Ayala Brut Nature Champagne

Ravi Krishnan — Took me a glass to get into it

7/10

First sip I thought it was a bit austere, like it needed something. But halfway through the bottle it really opened up and I started appreciating how structured and clean it is. Not sure I'd choose it over a regular brut for casual drinking but it's definitely interesting if you like bone-dry fizz.

Jackson Wu — Proper zero-dosage without the harshness

9/10

Picked this up after reading about brut nature styles and honestly wasn't sure I'd like it — some zero-dosage champagnes just taste like lemon juice to me. But this is really well balanced, crisp acidity but there's actual fruit there too. At £38 it's not cheap but it's genuinely good champagne, not just a gimmick.

Sophia Laurent — Nice but not sure it's worth £38

7/10

The guy at the wine shop recommended this when I said I wanted something dry. It IS very dry and clean, and the flavours are interesting — more complex than your standard prosecco obviously. But for nearly forty quid I expected to be a bit more blown away. Good, not great.