Your digital guidebook to the world of Champagne
My palate is one for purity, elegance and vivacity. Regarding champagne, I love what is in the glass but I also love what lies beyond. Champagne is an intriguingly complex and diverse region. A world of luxury and a truly fine wine. Still, where champagne is, fun begins. But knowing more makes it even greater fun. This is the Essence of Champagne.
Essi Avellan MW
Get access to the full site by becoming a member

Join

Explore Essence of Champagne with Essi Avellan MW. Renowned champagne specialist and Master of Wine, Essi Avellan’s personal champagne site offers you a brand new source of unbiased champagne opinions. Discover Essi’s vast library of recent tasting notes, Essi’s blog, essential champagne information, latest news, as well as the results of the champagne awards to which her palate has contributed.
What the others say
“Essi has a mind like a steel trap! And she is uniquely qualified. Of all the Champagne specialists I know, Essi is the best and most consistent taster I have encountered, and I have tasted thousands of Champagnes with her, so that is no throwaway statement.”
Tom Stevenson, wine writer and champagne specialist
”One senses a new voice – convincing, precise, analytical and mercifully free of dogmatic judgment masquerading as incontrovertible truth. Put another way, Avellan wears her knowledge and authority lightly, born of quiet self-confidence in the accuracy of her own palate, which is one of the best in the effervescence world.”
Michael Edwards, wine writer and champagne specialist
facebook-share
essiavellan_champagne_webbanner_300x120px
CSWWCLOGO2017blueHZ

Latest blog

First taste: Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Nature NV

Long known as a house of Chardonnay, Laurent-Perrier recently crafted its first ever blanc de blancs, which saw the light of day in May this year. In line with current fashion, Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet went for the brut nature style. But his was not just another bone-dry Champagne. The house has mastered brut […]

Featured house

Ulysse Collin

Olivier Collin makes single-vineyard Champagnes from the family vineyards in Coteaux du Morin that used to produce grapes for Pommery. One of Selosse’s famed protégés, he started own production back in 2004.

News

2019 CSWWC Champagne Trophies announced!

Champagne chefs de caves Frédéric Panaïotis (Ruinart), Vincent Chaperon (Dom Pérignon), Benoît Gouez (Moët & Chandon), Hervé Deschamps (Perrier-Jouët), Régis Camus (Rare Champagne) and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon (Louis Roederer) with CSWWC judges Tom Stevenson, George Markus and Essi Avellan MW Fireworks were flying last Monday night, as a record breaking number of awards were presented at […]