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 do not make a non-vintage rosé, preferring to release only in vintage years. Brut Rosé Vintage is produced from some twenty Grand and Premier Crus in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. In order to obtain its delicate colour and subtle nose, 15% Pinot Noir from selected vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Cumières is fermented and added to the blend as red wine prior to the second fermentation. 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.

Weather: A classic Champagne vintage with normal winter temperatures and a warm, dry summer leading to good (but not overt) ripeness, which was tempered by some welcome rains in late summer. The harvest spanned the first three weeks of September, with the grapes showing excellent ripeness and good acidity.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru: Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs| Red Wine: Ambonnay, Bouzy, Cumières
Grape Varieties: 65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay | inc. 15% Red Wine
Lees ageing: 5 years
Disgorged: November 2021
Dosage: 8 g/l
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: A salmon pink colour that has a stream of glittering fine bubbles. The nose is enticing with aromas of red berries and citrus. On the palate, citrus notes of blood orange, then shows itself to be generous and enveloping as it reveals its red fruit aromas. A very fresh and elegant vintage with a powerful finish.