Pol Roger
Pol Roger is a traditional Champagne house founded in 1849 that works with around 92 hectares of its own vineyards in renowned Grand Cru and Premier Cru locations in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs. Together with Bollinger and Krug, Pol Roger is traditionally counted among the top three quality elite of Champagne. The vineyards include top sites such as Ambonnay, Mareuil, Aÿ and Cramant, from which the grapes for the characteristic, elegant and balanced style are sourced. The house remains family-owned to this day.
Pol Roger possesses the structure and substance of ripe Pinot Noir grapes, but unlike Bollinger does not focus on body and power. Fruity charm, a complex, multi-layered aroma profile and great mineral finesse characterize the house. Pinot Noir dominates the vintage and prestige cuvées, while the style is continued under the new Chef de Cave Damien Cambres: slightly less body than Bollinger, but more fruity charm. Pol Roger champagnes stand for harmony, elegance and perfect dosage. Vinification is reductive in tank, not oxidative. Particularly noteworthy is the quality of the vintage wines, including the very full Blanc de Blancs, formerly called Cuvée de Chardonnay.
After the German defeat, Winston Churchill meets Odette Pol Roger at lunch at the British Embassy in Paris. The families form a friendship, also encouraged by Winston’s wife Clementine. Odette sends Winston Churchill a case of vintage champagne every birthday until his death in 1965.
However, it was not until the 1980s that the 1975 vintage was launched exclusively in magnums as Cuvée Winston Churchill. It was presented in 1984 at Blenheim Palace, the great estate of the Spencer Churchills.
The current 2018 vintage is the 22nd release of this prestige cuvée. The blend consists of 80% to 90% Pinot Noir and 20% to 10% Chardonnay. Pol Roger does not officially publish figures, but Bastien de Billy has revealed that recent releases have hovered around the 90% Pinot Noir mark.
Winston Churchill is fermented long and cool at 18 °C in stainless steel tanks. It also undergoes malolactic fermentation. The bottles are riddled by hand.
Winston Churchill remains an insider champagne. With only about 5% of the volume produced per vintage compared to Dom Pérignon, it is also rare.
Yet Winston Churchill has a special charm and elegance. Creamy fruit meets mineral precision. The texture on the palate is indescribable.
The vintage champagne is also dominated by Pinot Noir, with a slightly higher Chardonnay proportion. Older vines are used for the Winston Churchill cuvée. Over time, the Vintage develops a similar aroma profile to Winston Churchill: orange peel, nuts, dried apricots, chocolate, nougat and white bread. Winston Churchill is excellently age-worthy, but already reaches an ideal drinking window after just a few years that lasts for a long time.
Although Pinot Noir is emphasized in the cuvées, Pol Roger was one of the first houses in Champagne to produce a pure Chardonnay champagne. The Réserve Chardonnay 1914 enjoyed an excellent reputation. The legendary Blanc de Blancs 1928 from the cool Premier Cru village of Grauves was the only champagne rated 100 points by Richard Juhlin. Since 1959, vintage champagnes made entirely from Chardonnay have been offered regularly. Until 1996, the Blanc de Blancs was still called Blanc de Chardonnay.
Pol Roger produces a rich, full-bodied Blanc de Blancs. The grapes come from Grand Crus such as Chouilly, Oger, Avize, Cramant and Oiry. The wines mature in tank and undergo malolactic fermentation. Grape quality, careful cellar work and precise blending make the fine difference.
The grapes come from around 20 Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages in the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs. Important Grand Crus include Mailly, Verzenay, Ambonnay, Aÿ and Bouzy. Premier Cru sites add freshness and finesse and provide the base for the assemblage. The varieties consist of approximately 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, which shapes the powerful yet fresh style of Pol Roger.
Pol Roger pursues sustainable viticulture that combines ecological responsibility with high quality. Environmentally friendly practices are followed in the vineyard without working exclusively organically. The aim is to preserve quality while having minimal impact on the protected terroirs.
Winston Churchill with Odette Pol Roger
After pressing, the must is cooled. Cold débourbage is used to clarify the must. The base wines are fermented in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation provides a silky texture and aromatic complexity. The second fermentation takes place traditionally in the bottle in the deep cellars of Épernay, where the champagnes age for a long time on the lees, gaining depth and fullness.
Pol Roger is a small, family-run Champagne house with high quality standards that sources grapes from Grand and Premier Cru sites and combines traditional cellar craftsmanship with modern technology. The style is elegant, harmonious, charmingly fruity and complex, supported by long lees aging and malolactic fermentation, which gives the champagne a velvety texture. In deliberate contrast to large industrial producers, Pol Roger maintains consistent quality and sustainable viticultural practices — a top choice for all Champagne lovers.