Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Pol Roger, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
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.
Sir Winston Churchill's relationship with Pol Roger dates back to 1945 when, during a luncheon given by the British ambassador to France after the liberation of Paris, Churchill met the charming and captivating Odette Pol-Roger. A friendship began which, indulged by his wife Clementine, lasted until his death in 1965. Each year on his birthday, Odette would send Churchill a case of vintage champagne. So close was his relationship with the family that upon his death, Pol Roger put black-bordered labels on all of their bottles destined for the UK. In 1975, Pol Roger went one step further and named their prestige cuvée after him, producing it in the robust and mature style that he liked so much. The exact composition of this cuvée is a family secret but it is likely that Pinot Noir dominates 70-80% of the blend with the remainder being Chardonnay. The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during Churchill's lifetime.
Weather: The 2004 vintage saw an initial winter of mild temperatures with intermittent storms and hail. The spring and summer months were hot and sunny and the sugar levels late in September produced good quality fruits, especially for the Pinot Noir grapes. A huge harvest in general for the region. Overall many experts believe that 2004 is one of the greatest vintages of the last two decades.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru
Grape Varieties: Family Secret | Likely 70-80% Pinot Noir, 20-30% Chardonnay
Ageing: 10 years on the lees
Disgorged: January 2015
Dosage: 9 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028
Tasting Note:A deep-golden yellow colour coupled with lingering bubbles. Intense and complex aromas on the nose are full of dried fruit, toasted almond and honey. A sensational palate of full-bodied structure, well-balanced with refreshing acidity of peach, nectarines, plum and citrus fruits. The length on the finish is excellent, with added taste of pear lingering long after.
Pol Roger was just nineteen when he founded his eponymous estate in 1849. Still a family-run enterprise, fifth generation Hubert de Billy is one of the descendants who manage the House today, ensuring they remain fiercely independent and unrivalled in their reputation for quality. With 89-hectares of vineyards supplying half of their grape requirements and illustrious premises containing immaculate facilities including pristinely polished stainless-steel tanks that reflect shiny tiles and snow-white surfaces, their success is a consequence of incredibly personal attention to detail. In 1955 the family started acquiring vineyards, today they own 92 hectares. Their own grapes are just over 50% of their needs, requiring them to work with many growers from many villages. Its cellars in Epernay are 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. The House use no oak in the winemaking process and their double cold-settling of the grape juice contributes to the pure-fruity style of their champagnes. 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.
Cellar Master: Damien Cambres - March 2018 to present
Winery Location: Épernay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): 1,800,000
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Pol Roger:
Damien Cambres - March 2018 to present - Damien Cambres took over as Cellar Master on Monday April 2nd 2018, at forty-three he succeeds Dominique Petit who retires after 19 years at Champagne Pol Roger. Damien was born in Châlons-en-Champagne and completed the national diploma in oenology. Before joining Pol Roger he spent 20 years in champagnes co-operative business, 1997 to 2012, with Nicolas Feuillatte, before joining Gouttes d’Or Union as production manager then general manager, until 2017 when he joined Pol Roger as Director of Production in April 2017. For the next 12 months he worked with his predecessor Dominique Petit understanding the know-how and philosophy of the family-owned company.
Dominique Petit - Spring 1999 & retired in March 2018 Dominique studied oenology for seven years; Beaune Wine College in 1970 to 1971, Wine College of Avize from 1971 to 1973 and finally at the Faculty of Science in Reims from 1973 to 1977. His first vintage of his professional career was 1979, he comments "Maturity was spectacular with a purity that was extraordinarily beautiful. The wines were all without exception wonderful, and the few remaining examples in the cellars are still the same." This first role was at Champagne Krug, where he stayed for 20 years, part of the winemaking team and becoming Director of Production. Much of early years with Champagne Pol Roger, from 2001 to 2013 he oversaw a major refurbishment of the winery, enlarging the cellar space for settling, blending and vinification. In addition he introduced smaller tanks from 20 hl to 160 h/l , allowing him to keep smaller parcels of the best wines separate for the vintage and Churchill cuvée.
James Coffinet - 1985 to Spring 1999 - Recruited by Christian de Billy from Billecart-Salmon where he was Cellar Master. With Christian's oversight, James introduced double débourbage, longer periods of cold settling the must, twice for between 24-48 hours at 6 Celsius followed by a cooler fermentation. These were practices borrowed from the brewing industry and used at Champagne Billecart-Salmon where he previously worked. Coffinet was considered one of the best winemakers of his generation.
Damien Cambres - March 2018 to present - Damien Cambres took over as Cellar Master on Monday April 2nd 2018, at forty-three he succeeds Dominique Petit who retires after 19 years at Champagne Pol Roger. Damien was born in Châlons-en-Champagne and completed the national diploma in oenology. Before joining Pol Roger he spent 20 years in champagnes co-operative business, 1997 to 2012, with Nicolas Feuillatte, before joining Gouttes d’Or Union as production manager then general manager, until 2017 when he joined Pol Roger as Director of Production in April 2017. For the next 12 months he worked with his predecessor Dominique Petit understanding the know-how and philosophy of the family-owned company.
Dominique Petit - Spring 1999 & retired in March 2018 Dominique studied oenology for seven years; Beaune Wine College in 1970 to 1971, Wine College of Avize from 1971 to 1973 and finally at the Faculty of Science in Reims from 1973 to 1977. His first vintage of his professional career was 1979, he comments "Maturity was spectacular with a purity that was extraordinarily beautiful. The wines were all without exception wonderful, and the few remaining examples in the cellars are still the same." This first role was at Champagne Krug, where he stayed for 20 years, part of the winemaking team and becoming Director of Production. Much of early years with Champagne Pol Roger, from 2001 to 2013 he oversaw a major refurbishment of the winery, enlarging the cellar space for settling, blending and vinification. In addition he introduced smaller tanks from 20 hl to 160 h/l , allowing him to keep smaller parcels of the best wines separate for the vintage and Churchill cuvée.
James Coffinet - 1985 to Spring 1999 - Recruited by Christian de Billy from Billecart-Salmon where he was Cellar Master. With Christian's oversight, James introduced double débourbage, longer periods of cold settling the must, twice for between 24-48 hours at 6 Celsius followed by a cooler fermentation. These were practices borrowed from the brewing industry and used at Champagne Billecart-Salmon where he previously worked. Coffinet was considered one of the best winemakers of his generation.
Expert Reviews
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Tasted blind. Mytik cork. Deep gold. Deep and rich on the nose and very appealing. Tightly laced with a tiny bead. Some savoury notes with a suggestion of gunflint. Real race and pace.”
92 → 95/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Strong, creamy and toasty nose with prominent Pinot power. Ripe fruit profile with an oxidative touch and plenty of robustness and vinosity. Surprisingly mature already lacking firmess and spine. Rich oily smooth palate and long, concentrated finish. ”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Tasted blind. Very deep orangey straw. Lots of tension and autolysis on the nose and then it’s so introvert that it almost disappears on the palate. But there is so much that’s exclusive to champagne to enjoy here. Tingling! Slightly bitter. Interesting bitter-orange notes. Quite distinctive.”
94/100
Antonio Galloni
“The flagship 2004 Brut Sir Winston Churchill is creamy, ample and highly expressive, but it is also a bit more forward than I expected for the vintage. Apricot jam, honey, spice, smoke, brioche and lovely hints of toastiness all add to the wine's considerable appeal, while there is no shortage of density or volume. All that said, the wine's balance is not as fine as I had hoped it would be. Perhaps a bit more time in bottle will do the trick. To be sure, the 2004 Churchill is more advanced than most other tête de cuvées in this vintage.”
94/100
Alison Napjus
“Refined and lacy, this vibrant Champagne shows rich mineral character and ripe flavors of baked plum, spun honey, brioche and lemon curd, set in an elegant, finely meshed framework. Drink now through 2029. ”
97/100
Roger Voss
“Following on from the great 2002 vintage of this wine, the 2004 is equally memorable. It is a magnificent wine, structured and beautifully balanced between the ripe white fruits and the tight texture that will allow it to age many years. While drinkable now, it is still young at 11 years, still with great potential. Drink now, until 2024, and probably beyond.”
98/100
Stephen Brook
“Dense grilled nuts nose, backward and youthful, and shows aromatic depth at the expense of immediate charm. The palate is rich, broad, and weighty, very concentrated, achieving a majestic style that’s biscuitty and powerful. Although accessible now it will certainly improve with more bottle age that will allow the flavours to unfurl. Long.”
Pol Roger and Sir Winston Churchill shared a legendary friendship, born from a mutual love of fine Champagne. Churchill’s favourite house later honoured him with its prestige cuvée, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill — a rich, powerful Champagne reflecting his character and legacy.
In early March, we met with President of Pol Roger Laurent d'Harcourt at the winery in Épernay to taste the 2018 base wines and conduct a vertical tasting of Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs vintages, dating from 1986-2012.
Read Tim Hall's review of the first ever complete vertical tasting of Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill. Every vintage made from 1975 to 2004, all in magnum (but for the 1988 jeroboam)... where was our invite...
To celebrate the release of Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2008, we put it to the test in a blind vertical tasting of the last four vintages of Pol: 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. We also threw in the non-vintage for good measure.
