Pol Roger was just nineteen when he founded his estate in 1849. Still a family-run enterprise, fifth generation Hubert de Billy is one of the descendants who manage the House today. With 89-hectares of vineyards supplying half of their grape requirements and illustrious premises containing immaculate facilities including pristinely polished stainless-steel tanks. Today they own 92 hectares of vineyards and its cellars in Epernay, just off the Avenue de Champagne run for 7.5 kms, 34 metres below the ground at a constant 9 Celsius.

Remarkably, a small team of less than ten complete everything in the cellar by hand and Pol Roger boast four of the region's remaining fifteen riddlers, who impressively turn over 60,000 bottles a day. Indeed, it is this style and their respect for tradition that initiated Sir Winston Churchill's lifelong attachment to Pol Roger, who famously insisted: "In defeat I need it, in victory I deserve it." Today, their prestige cuvée is named in honour of the great man.

Pol Roger Brut Vintage is produced in limited quantities using the traditional House blend from twenty Grand and Premier Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Second fermentation takes place in the coolest Pol Roger cellars, thirty-three metres below ground level at temperatures of just 9°C, some 2-3°C cooler than the cellars of other producers. The cooler cellars slow down bottle fermentation, producing a champagne with finer bubbles, a characteristic for which these small production releases of Pol Roger are known for. The final blend is aged for eight years in the cellars before disgorgment and release.

Weather in 2013: Winter was cold with little sunshine; it was marked by frequent frosts and several incidences of nowfall. The onset of springlike weather was delayed, and the month of May saw a return of unseasonably low temperatures and high rainfall. June saw a return of normal temperatures. July and August were hot, sunny and dry. A spell of rain at the beginning of September allowed the grapes to swell. Thankfully drier weather encouraged full maturation of the vines, albeit a fortnight late compared to the average of the last ten years. Harvesting started on 24th September and lasted until 9th October.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru - Montagne de Reims & Côte des Blancs.
Grape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Ageing: 7 years on the lees
Disgorgement: April 2020
Dosage: 7.5 g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: The Brut Vintage 2013 is tightly knit on the nose and different to the bottle as its showing a hint of that smoky character, the magnum trademark, with notes of lemon peel, grapefruit and white flowers and compared to the 2012's there more hints of tropical fruit. The palate fills out with the texture from the lees ageing broadening a rich mouthfeel and its this texture that is greater in the magnums, picking up fruit characters like pear and ripe apple with good fresh acidity and a light delicate mineral finish