The world’s toughest and most prestigious sparkling wine competition, The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2021 (CSWWC), is delighted to announce its most decorated medal year yet, with a total of 139 Gold & 268 Silver medals awarded to 19 countries. All the Gold & Silver medal winners can be found here: CSWWC 2021 […]

Today I had my first taste of the upcoming, much anticipated 2012 vintage of Dom Pérignon. This vintage, according to chef de cave Vincent Chaperon, celebrates Dom Pérignon’s freedom of creativity. In a near-perfect year following a truly challenging growing season, Dom Pérignon ended up being equipped with an amazing choice of exciting and versatile […]

COTEAUX CHAMPENOIS: STILL LIFE Still winemaking (red, white, and rosé) is on the up in Champagne. But how good are the results? Essi Avellan MW introduces a promising, varied, if variable tasting shared with Simon Field MW and Jancis Robinson MW. Read the article from The World of Fine Wine magazine’s issue 71 here: WFW71 […]

Pommery Cuvée Louise (1979–2006): Marina’s Louisiana extravaganza Essi Avellan MW reports from an unprecedented vertical tasting of the prestige cuvée in Malmö organized by the Swedish collector, Marina Olsson. Read the artcle here: WFW71_Review Avellan: Pommery Louise  

In the Issue 71 of the World of Fine Wine magazine Essi Avellan MW welcomes the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir releases from Champagne Louis Roederer’s promising project that raises the bar for quality in the rapidly growing Coteaux de Champagne still-wine scene. WFW71_Preview_Wine_Avellan_Roederer_Coteaux Champenois

2007 is a rather scarcely declared vintage and not one recognized for its Pinot Noir, yet Bollinger have managed to create something so fresh and delicious from it. Its secrets are in rigorous selection and in unusually high proportion of crunchy Verzenay fruit (29%). Glossy evolving lemon colour. The coolly fruity nose comes with golden […]

Champagne’s ‘Mis en Cave’ cuvée www.cluboenologique.com Club O Collection 20 January 2021 It has gained a reputation as the best value non-vintage Champagne, but Charles Heidsieck’s Brut Réserve has a complex backstory. As a special edition of the wines is released, Essi Avellan MW delves into its past and present, and reviews the latest bottlings […]

Corks have been popping all over the world this week as the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships hosted its Virtual Awards Week announcing a total of 37 trophies to the greatest sparkling wine producers from around the globe. The week kicked off announcing the Best in Class winners followed by the virtual audience being […]