Champagne Pol Roger : Extra Cuvée de Réserve

The domain

The Pol Roger Champagne House was founded in 1849, and today the 5th generation of the family holds the reins of the 92-hectare vineyard. Quickly becoming Winston Churchill’s favorite house, the Pol Roger empire is still one of the houses that inspire luxury à la française.

CHAMPAGNE POL ROGER: THE HISTORY OF THIS FAMOUS HOUSE

It all began when Pol Roger’s father, a notary, died in 1849 at the age of just 18. He was forced into the champagne business in Aÿ, where the family lived. Two years later, the family moved to Épernay, where the business expanded. His aim was to stand out from the crowd, by offering Pol Roger Champagne as brut as possible, which appealed greatly to the English.  In 1877, the company began supplying the British crown. The founder died in 1899, and his two sons took over. Maurice was in charge of sales, while Georges worked on wine-making. The following year, part of the cellars and buildings collapsed, and over one and a half million bottles were lost. Year after year, generations of the family have carried on their ancestor’s work, continuing to produce the excellent Pol Roger champagnes and developing the family business.

POL ROGER AND WINSTON CHURCHILL, A GREAT STORY OF FRIENDSHIP

Winston Churchill, a great lover of Pol Roger Champagne since 1908, was an unconditional admirer of the brand. After meeting Odette Pol-Roger, granddaughter of Richard Wallace, in 1944 at a dinner held at the British Embassy in Paris, strong ties were forged between the Churchill and Pol Roger families. For Mr. Churchill, Odette represented Marianne, in other words, French elegance and prestige. In 1975, on the tenth anniversary of Winston Churchill’s death, the House honored him by launching production of the first vintage of its prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. The label is adorned with a black border as a sign of mourning for this great fan of Pol Roger and his exceptional champagnes. No one knows the exact blend of this highly confidential cuvée, but rumor has it that the Pinot Noir is enhanced by "a zest of Chardonnay".

THE POL ROGER STYLE

Pol Roger bases its identity on its long aging process (4 to 10 years) in its historic cellars in Epernay. The richness and quality of the terroirs from which Pol Roger Champagnes are made enable this emblematic Champagne house to achieve exemplary consistency. What’s more, the wines are not aged in oak barrels: perhaps this is the secret of Pol Roger Champagne. Refinement and pleasure are also part of Pol Roger’s soul, with cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Produced only during the best vintages, this champagne is made exclusively from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Grands Crus. The Vintage range is also proof of Pol Roger’s mastery of blending and of the prowess achieved in the vineyard and in the cellar, notably with the Vintage Brut, which has great presence and incredible complexity. Of course, the Maison Pol Roger style is reflected in the Brut Réserve cuvée, which brings together the 3 flagship grape varieties of Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.