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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.

About Essi

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
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

Understanding champagne

In every sip of champagne you can taste a piece of history, culture, terroir and the person behind the wine. To me, this effervescent charmeur is the finest wine on earth. Champagne’s inviting image belies a multi-faceted region and an exceptional amount of human skill in the making. Hence my belief that understanding champagne makes us appreciate it even more.

Thirsting to know more and more, to dig deeper and deeper into its secrets, I welcome you to join me for a bubbly tour of Champagne and champagnes.

À la Essi

@essiavellan
  • Some very interesting coteaux chempenois 🍷 to conclude our big tasting day on saturday! Thank you for the treat, @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! #coteauxchampenois @champagne_bollinger #lacoteauxenfants @champagne_philipponnat #mareuil @champagne.hebrart @veuveclicquot #closcolin
  • Today’s Wine School wines! We looked into fine traditional method sparkling wines from outside Champagne! @taltarni @raventosiblanc @ferraritrento @gusbourne_wine @grahambeckbubbly @cadelbosco_official #pyrenees #concadelriuanoia #trentodoc #englishsparklingwine #methodecapclassique #franciacorta
  • Some big boys here! Thank you @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ❤️ for passionately collecting all these rare bottles! Full report to follow in @cluboenologique magazine! #closchampagne #closdumesnil #closdambonnay #vieillesvignesfrancaises #vvf #champagne #champagnereporter
  • One highlight from yesterday’s superb Clos Champagne tasting put together by @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! Full vertical of @champagnepommery Clos Pompadour magnums 2002-2005 🔥 . Merci @clementpierlot for the 2005 preview! #clospompadour #closchampagne #champagne #champagnereporter
  • Perfect post-riding bubbles @enclosdeperalba 🥂 Gracias @leogramona !
  • More horsey business at @gramona1881 to follow with the lovely Lucho ❤️
  • Gracias Brahim and @gramona1881 for the amazing experience!
  • What an amazing tasting at @champagnetaittinger 🥂! Learning about different bottle formats for Taittinger with the expertise guidance of chef de cave @alexandre_ponnavoy . Cherishing the magnum and jeroboam effect throughout the fine range. Stunned to get to know the super complex and giving 2012 Comtes de Champagne now in magnum and jeroboam formats too 👌. They are coming on the market in the next months ❤️ Merci Alexandre and @jeanpierreredont ! #magnumeffect #jeroboameffect #champagnereporter #champagne #sizematters @thefinestbubble
  • Where better to explore the ’magnum effect’ than at @champagnepalmer ! Great tasting crowned by two stunning mature magnum stars, Blanc de Blancs 1985 and Vintage 1985 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merci Remi, Xavier & @pop_goes_my_wine 🙏
Some very interesting coteaux chempenois 🍷 to conclude our big tasting day on saturday! Thank you for the treat, @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! #coteauxchampenois @champagne_bollinger #lacoteauxenfants @champagne_philipponnat #mareuil @champagne.hebrart @veuveclicquot #closcolin
Some very interesting coteaux chempenois 🍷 to conclude our big tasting day on saturday! Thank you for the treat, @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! #coteauxchampenois @champagne_bollinger #lacoteauxenfants @champagne_philipponnat #mareuil @champagne.hebrart @veuveclicquot #closcolin
24 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Today’s Wine School wines! We looked into fine traditional method sparkling wines from outside Champagne! @taltarni @raventosiblanc @ferraritrento @gusbourne_wine @grahambeckbubbly @cadelbosco_official #pyrenees #concadelriuanoia #trentodoc #englishsparklingwine #methodecapclassique #franciacorta
Today’s Wine School wines! We looked into fine traditional method sparkling wines from outside Champagne! @taltarni @raventosiblanc @ferraritrento @gusbourne_wine @grahambeckbubbly @cadelbosco_official #pyrenees #concadelriuanoia #trentodoc #englishsparklingwine #methodecapclassique #franciacorta
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
Some big boys here! Thank you @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ❤️ for passionately collecting all these rare bottles! Full report to follow in @cluboenologique magazine! #closchampagne #closdumesnil #closdambonnay #vieillesvignesfrancaises #vvf #champagne #champagnereporter
Some big boys here! Thank you @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ❤️ for passionately collecting all these rare bottles! Full report to follow in @cluboenologique magazine! #closchampagne #closdumesnil #closdambonnay #vieillesvignesfrancaises #vvf #champagne #champagnereporter
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
One highlight from yesterday’s superb Clos Champagne tasting put together by @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! Full vertical of @champagnepommery Clos Pompadour magnums 2002-2005 🔥 . Merci @clementpierlot for the 2005 preview! #clospompadour #closchampagne #champagne #champagnereporter
One highlight from yesterday’s superb Clos Champagne tasting put together by @gomsegletchampagneconnoisseurs ! Full vertical of @champagnepommery Clos Pompadour magnums 2002-2005 🔥 . Merci @clementpierlot for the 2005 preview! #clospompadour #closchampagne #champagne #champagnereporter
3 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Perfect post-riding bubbles @enclosdeperalba 🥂 Gracias @leogramona !
Perfect post-riding bubbles @enclosdeperalba 🥂 Gracias @leogramona !
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
More horsey business at @gramona1881 to follow with the lovely Lucho ❤️
More horsey business at @gramona1881 to follow with the lovely Lucho ❤️
More horsey business at @gramona1881 to follow with the lovely Lucho ❤️
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Gracias Brahim and @gramona1881 for the amazing experience!
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
What an amazing tasting at @champagnetaittinger 🥂! Learning about different bottle formats for Taittinger with the expertise guidance of chef de cave @alexandre_ponnavoy . Cherishing the magnum and jeroboam effect throughout the fine range. Stunned to get to know the super complex and giving 2012 Comtes de Champagne now in magnum and jeroboam formats too 👌. They are coming on the market in the next months ❤️ Merci Alexandre and @jeanpierreredont ! #magnumeffect #jeroboameffect #champagnereporter #champagne #sizematters @thefinestbubble
What an amazing tasting at @champagnetaittinger 🥂! Learning about different bottle formats for Taittinger with the expertise guidance of chef de cave @alexandre_ponnavoy . Cherishing the magnum and jeroboam effect throughout the fine range. Stunned to get to know the super complex and giving 2012 Comtes de Champagne now in magnum and jeroboam formats too 👌. They are coming on the market in the next months ❤️ Merci Alexandre and @jeanpierreredont ! #magnumeffect #jeroboameffect #champagnereporter #champagne #sizematters @thefinestbubble
What an amazing tasting at @champagnetaittinger 🥂! Learning about different bottle formats for Taittinger with the expertise guidance of chef de cave @alexandre_ponnavoy . Cherishing the magnum and jeroboam effect throughout the fine range. Stunned to get to know the super complex and giving 2012 Comtes de Champagne now in magnum and jeroboam formats too 👌. They are coming on the market in the next months ❤️ Merci Alexandre and @jeanpierreredont ! #magnumeffect #jeroboameffect #champagnereporter #champagne #sizematters @thefinestbubble
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Where better to explore the ’magnum effect’ than at @champagnepalmer ! Great tasting crowned by two stunning mature magnum stars, Blanc de Blancs 1985 and Vintage 1985 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merci Remi, Xavier & @pop_goes_my_wine 🙏
Where better to explore the ’magnum effect’ than at @champagnepalmer ! Great tasting crowned by two stunning mature magnum stars, Blanc de Blancs 1985 and Vintage 1985 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Merci Remi, Xavier & @pop_goes_my_wine 🙏
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
9/9
Grand Champagne