Pol RogerÉpernay
Producer profile
PL "Pol Roger's champagnes are substantial and mouth-filling, balancing a pinot-driven depth with a polished refinement". NV Brut Réserve has a "round body" and "lively acidity". Pure Extra Brut is a non-dosé cuvée from "riper, more floral base wines". The "excellent" vintage Blanc de Blancs is "highly distinctive", made entirely from chardonnay and has "unusually ample body and creamy richness that gives a nod to the pinot-driven sensibilities of the house style". The vintage Brut is "legendary for its character and longevity". The celebrated prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill launched in 1984 and made predominantly from pinot noir is robust and full-bodied. TyS 9/10 "celestial estate" producing champagnes that are "desperately precise, intricately delicate and flawlessly pristine". Owned by the same family since 1849 maintaining a "regime of excellence in the vineyard and winery". The house winemaking facilities have been continuously upgraded in the past 20 years and the pace of ongoing transformation is "amazing". Grapes are sourced from 200 hectares, including 90 hectares of estate vines, and pressed at more than 70 pressers across the region. Exceptional growers like Diebolt-Vallois and Pierre Gimonnet supply grapes to Pol Roger. House preference is for stainless steel over concrete and oak, although the reserves are held in underground concrete tanks. Double cold-settling process, producing "the most pristine juice" that doesn't need filtering, was brought from Billecart-Salmon. "Fruit freshness and aromatic definition" is the result of a drawn-out cool primary fermentation. Secondary fermentation in some of the coolest and deepest cellars in Champagne produces "wines of great finesse, fine effervescence and enduring longevity." Typical dosage is around 7g. "Everything in the cellar is done by hand by a team of no more than 10", including 5 riddlers, and the house invests in manual labor for social reasons and tradition. There are nearly 10 million bottles in the cellars and each is stacked by hand. Packaging dates on bottles approximate disgorgement, the first digit being the year and the next three the day. ToS 96 "value", "the rich, deep, and toasty house style is achieved completely without barrels." The family palate is important in choosing the blend compositions. "The trilogy of vintages, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, and Rosé, continue to be one of the greatest purchases one can make in Champagne."
PL "Pol Roger's champagnes are substantial and mouth-filling, balancing a pinot-driven depth with a polished refinement". NV Brut Réserve has a "round body" and "lively acidity". Pure Extra Brut is a non-dosé cuvée from "riper, more floral base wines". The "excellent" vintage Blanc de Blancs is "highly distinctive", made entirely from chardonnay and has "unusually ample body and creamy richness that gives a nod to the pinot-driven sensibilities of the house style". The vintage Brut is "legendary for its character and longevity". The celebrated prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill launched in 1984 and made predominantly from pinot noir is robust and full-bodied. TyS 9/10 "celestial estate" producing champagnes that are "desperately precise, intricately delicate and flawlessly pristine". Owned by the same family since 1849 maintaining a "regime of excellence in the vineyard and winery". The house winemaking facilities have been continuously upgraded in the past 20 years and the pace of ongoing transformation is "amazing". Grapes are sourced from 200 hectares, including 90 hectares of estate vines, and pressed at more than 70 pressers across the region. Exceptional growers like Diebolt-Vallois and Pierre Gimonnet supply grapes to Pol Roger. House preference is for stainless steel over concrete and oak, although the reserves are held in underground concrete tanks. Double cold-settling process, producing "the most pristine juice" that doesn't need filtering, was brought from Billecart-Salmon. "Fruit freshness and aromatic definition" is the result of a drawn-out cool primary fermentation. Secondary fermentation in some of the coolest and deepest cellars in Champagne produces "wines of great finesse, fine effervescence and enduring longevity." Typical dosage is around 7g. "Everything in the cellar is done by hand by a team of no more than 10", including 5 riddlers, and the house invests in manual labor for social reasons and tradition. There are nearly 10 million bottles in the cellars and each is stacked by hand. Packaging dates on bottles approximate disgorgement, the first digit being the year and the next three the day. ToS 96 "value", "the rich, deep, and toasty house style is achieved completely without barrels." The family palate is important in choosing the blend compositions. "The trilogy of vintages, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, and Rosé, continue to be one of the greatest purchases one can make in Champagne."
Tasting notes
Brut Réserve. Some aspects of the bottle styling are challenging: the gaudy neck ornamentation and the cheap plastic sticker. Yet the label is crisp and elegant. Cork was on the move the moment the cage was loosened but escaped only with a loud pop and no spill. Neutral yellow color with an unusual impression of a slightly oily or viscous surface. Satisfying taste with a good balance between bitterness, acidity, and sweetness. Not a particularly age-forward profile but with characteristics that feel stylistically specific to the house signature. Purchased with Morin takeout in summer 2020 for $85. ⭐
All photos and tasting notes are by @gaiwanstyle
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)