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
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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
Christies World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine 4th Edition

Latest blog

Comparison of 2012 and 2013 Vintages

For this week’s The Finest Bubble Instagram Live tasting Nick proposed a vintage comparison. It was fascinating to compare the excellent harvests 2012 and 2013, which both have a classic, racy character to them and have been left somewhat in the shadow of the much-hyped 2008. First some vintage details: 2012 The next exceptional vintage […]

Featured house

La Borderie

There was a hundred years’ break in pressing at this family estate, a period when they only sold grapes to the cooperatives and négociants of the region. Simon Normand and his sister Marie started own production in 2013 and first wines were sold in 2017.

News

CSWWC 2020 announces Gold & Silver medal results

The world’s toughest and most prestigious sparkling wine competition, The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2020 (CSWWC), is delighted to announce a “record breaking year” smashing the 1,000 entry mark! Every year the CSWWC receives entries from up to 30 different countries and in 2020 a total of 128 Gold & 237 Silver medals […]