Pol Roger, founded in 1849 in Épernay, is one of Champagne’s most respected houses, known for its elegance, balance, and deep ties to Britain. Still family-owned, Pol Roger has long been admired for producing wines that embody finesse and richness in equal measure. Its relationship with the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century when it received a royal warrant in 1877, but it was in the 20th century that this connection reached legendary status — through Sir Winston Churchill.
The friendship between Winston Churchill and the Pol Roger family began during a luncheon in Paris in November 1944. Hosted by the British ambassador, Duff Cooper, it was here that Churchill was seated next to Odette Pol-Roger. The two formed an immediate bond, one rooted in mutual admiration and a shared love of fine Champagne. Churchill had been a fan of the house for years, but this meeting cemented a lifelong friendship that continued until his death. He was so fond of Pol Roger that he named one of his racehorses after the house — and when it won at Kempton Park in 1953, the connection became the stuff of legend. Churchill famously declared Pol Roger “the most drinkable address in the world,” and following his death in 1965, the house released its bottles in the UK with black-bordered labels as a sign of mourning and respect.
The depth of this relationship inspired Pol Roger to create its most prestigious cuvée — the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill — first released in 1984, made from the 1975 vintage. Crafted in homage to Churchill’s taste, it embodies the qualities he valued most in Champagne: richness, structure, and maturity. The exact blend remains a closely guarded secret, though Pinot Noir clearly dominates, giving the wine depth and power, while Chardonnay adds finesse and longevity. All grapes are sourced from Grand Cru vineyards, and the wine is aged for many years in Pol Roger’s deep, cool cellars before release. The result is a Champagne of extraordinary complexity — golden in color with aromas of brioche, dried apricot, tobacco, and spice, followed by layers of fruit, minerality, and generous length on the palate.
Today, the bond between the Churchill and Pol Roger families remains alive. A statue of Sir Winston stands in the Pol Roger cellars as a tribute to their enduring connection, a reminder that this is more than a marketing story — it’s a friendship that defined an era of taste and elegance. The Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is more than just a wine; it’s an embodiment of character, resilience, and refinement — much like the man it was named after. For collectors and wine lovers alike, it remains one of the finest expressions of Champagne, a fitting legacy to both the house and its most famous admirer.
The precise formula is a family secret, but invariably true to the style that Sir Winston himself preferred: robust, full-flavoured and mature (the Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée is always released later than other Pol Roger vintage champagnes).
The first Cuvée made in his honour, and sold only in magnum, was from the 1975 vintage, 10 years after his death. It was launched at Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s place of birth, in 1984.
All vintages of Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill are: 1975, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
You can see by the scores and tasting notes below that the 2013 and 2012 vintage were consistently high scorers across most wine writers:
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2018 |
| The 22nd Churchill. The 2018 year started cold particularly February with some snowfall. By April the sunshine emerged leading to flowering at the end of May, some 10 days ahead of the 10 year average. Summer was hot and mostly dry with harvest starting on 20th August and lasted some 4 weeks. The lower night time temperatures during summer helped preserve the grapes natural acidity. In general all grapes performed well, with lots of forward fruit and most champagne will have ok acidity, not racy, not soft. Becoming a new benchmark for the Champagne region in terms of the heat, drought and sunshine levels! |
| 18.5/20 Nick Baker | thefinestbubble.com June 2024 |
| “Richness of citrus and layers of pear, apricot, peach and quince with a soft creamy lees texture and hints of tropical on the finish. Shorter lees time works really well on 2018. Currently freshness and lightness dominate, with time complexities will build further layers. These champagnes from hot vintages like 2018 can often surprise, this has bright acidity, largely because it is grapes from Grand Cru villages, which are all on the chalky slopes, this gives them a very different minerality and low pH which results in wines from hot years having plenty of freshness.” |
| 96/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com May 2025 |
| “The 2018 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is an elegant, polished wine very much in the gracious, lighter style of the year. Subtle citrus inflections, white peach, flowers, mint and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Clean mineral notes infuse the vibrant finish. This is an especially airy Churchill, a Champagne built more on finesse and persistence than size. ” |
| 18/20 Jancis Robinson MW | jancisrobinson.com May 2025 |
| “Deeper-flavoured than the 2018 regular vintage wine. As rich but with more marked acidity. Very vibrant with more energy than many 2018 champagnes. But, unlike some 7-year-old versions of this wine, it’s already delightfully approachable. Very long.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2015 |
| The 21st Churchill. A wet winter and mild spring gave way to an exceptionally dry summer from mid-May onwards. Hot weather prevailed until mid-August, when the skies opened again. Rains gave way to fine, cool, yet sunny weather for the first two weeks of harvest, which commenced on August 29th. The 2015 vintage has a lot of common denominators with the 2003 vintage but the 2015s are showing a better balance of weight and freshness with their average potential alcohol level of 10.5% and total acidity of 6.9 g/l. The quality and ageing capacity of the vintage has been questioned because of the low acidity, but to me the structure of the wine is not the problem. An average vintage and we need to see more releases before we will know for sure how good the big names will be in 2015. |
| 18/20 Jancis Robinson | jancisrobinson.com Feb 2024 |
| “Deep golden straw colour. Full-bodied, meaty nose with lots of impact. Lovely, filigree mousse – very well judged for its impact on the palate. Flavours reach every bit of the palate. Quite a charmer! Definitely already approachable – in fact it tastes as though it would already have been pretty nice last year! A fine, succulent representative of this dry, ripe year. Pretty gorgeous actually. Maybe it won’t be the longest-lasting Churchill but it’s hugely satisfying now.” |
| 95/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Feb 2023 |
| “The 2015 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill shows off the savory side of the vintage to great effect. Hints of dried pear, sage, mint, dried flowers, lemon oil and chamomile open gradually in this mid-weight, lithe edition of Pol Roger’s tête de cuvée. The 2015 unfolds nicely with time in the glass, but I wouldn’t think of opening a bottle anytime soon. Reads will find a nervy Winston Churchill marked by notable freshness and vigor more than size. This is a fine effort in a vintage that has proven to be far trickier than most observers originally envisioned. Dosage is 7 grams per litre. Disgorged September 2022.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2013 |
| The 20th Churchill. Winter was cold with little sunshine; it was marked by frequent frosts and several incidences of snowfall. 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. |
| 96/100 William Kelley | RobertParker.com March 2023 |
| “The 2013 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill continues to show beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit, mandarin oil, freshly baked bread and pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and precise, it’s deep and vinous, with a racy spine of an acidity and a tensile but relatively charming profile that means it’s already approachable. In style, the 2013 is in contrast with the broader, fleshier 2012, but the two vintages are very close in ultimate quality.” |
| 97/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com March 2022 |
| “The 2013 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is fabulous. Rich and remarkably pure, the 2013 is super- expressive right out of the gate. Bright saline notes cut through a core of lemon confit, dried flowers, apricot, tangerine peel, mint and sage. As compelling as the 2013 is, it really needs more time to open a bit. There is a feeling of transparency here that is so alluring. The 2013 is a terrific example of power with no excess weight in Champagne. I loved it.” |
| 19/20 Jancis Robinson MW | jancisrobinson.com March 2022 |
| “It’s a (still youthful) wine with wonderful tension, freshness and real drive. This should make a sumptuous wine when it sheds its most youthful acidity. Great density and still to unfurl completely. Drink 2022 – 2036” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2012 |
| The 19th Churchill. The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Winter was mild and dry with a cold snap at the beginning of February. Following cool and rainy weather in early spring, unseasonal warm weather prevailed in late March, favouring an advanced budbreak. This was followed in turn by rain, mild weather and five spells of hard frost in April and May and some local hail. These climatic challenges made for great variation in the development of the grapes. Hot, sunny weather from late July through to the first days of September, ensured that the grapes reached an ideal maturity. The yields, following all the “weather events,” were low, with grapes in excellent health. Harvesting started 10th and finished 26th September. The 2012 crop showed a potential average alcohol content of 10.6° and a total acidity of 7.8 g/l. |
| 19/20 Nick Baker | thefinestbubble.com March 2021 |
| “Like many 2012’s the aromatics are powerful and forward, there is a blend of tropical notes, particularly pineapple and a rich zesty lemon sherbet going to buttery pasty. This all suggests there is a reasonable slug of Chardonnay in the 2012 blend! The Pinot Noir element seems more recessive at this point. Grapefruit comes through on the palate and a creamy lemony pastry, bundles of fruit, underlying freshness on the palate and the lees and fruit have given a creamy soft texture. Zingy lemon, grapefruit and twist of raspberry hang on the finish. A stunning 2012, forward and very seductive” |
| 96/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Nov 2021 |
| “Pol Roger’s flagship Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is fabulous in 2012. Rich, open-knit and seductive, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate, although it certainly has the pedigree to age well for decades. Lemon confit, chamomile, dried flowers, mint, spice and a kick of brioche infuse the 2012 with notable textural richness and resonance. Time in the glass brings out gorgeous aromatic lift to round things out. The 2012 is classy and polished all the way.” |
| 96+/100 William Kelley | RobertParker.com Mar 2021 |
| “Pol Roger’s newly released 2012 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is showing brilliantly, bursting from the glass with youthful aromas of honeyed pears, toasted brioche, pomelo, fresh pastry, green apple and mandarin orange, with hints of stone fruit emerging with time in the glass. Full-bodied, vinous and textural, with an enveloping core of fleshy, concentrated fruit, bright acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. More muscular and vibrant than the generous and charming 2009, the 2012 ranks alongside the 2008 and 2002 as one of the three finest renditions of Sir Winston Churchill this millennium—and in style it resembles a hypothetical blend of those two vintages.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2009 |
| The 18th Churchill. The 2009 harvest began with a particularly cold winter but mild spring temperatures helped avoid any frost damage. Some stormy spells boosted the vegetation in late spring and June and July were altogether variable with hot spells and rainy patches. The glorious August weather was perfect for the grapes growth, hot and dry days followed by cool nights led to rapid maturation. Harvest began on September 8th and ended on the 21st. |
| 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com March 2020 |
| “Particularly strong apples on the nose – even Golden Delicious, a variety I haven’t tasted in a while. Creamy texture and a slightly sweeter, certainly riper, impression than more typical vintages – certainly much fuller and more welcoming than the 2008. Like a liqueur version of Epernay character! But this wine is no simpleton; it really builds on the palate to a dramatically long finish. Powerful! Very friendly rather than stern and Churchillian. As Hubert de Billy says, the 2008 Churchill is for collectors, the 2009 is for drinkers.” |
| 94/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Nov 2020 |
| “The 2009 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is a heady, explosive Champagne. Ample and deep, the Churchill is so expressive today. Apricot, tangerine oil, mint, baked apple tart and spice all flesh out. I would give the 2009 at least a year or two in bottle, as it is a bit tight at this stage. Even so, time in the glass brings out a feeling of raw power that is impossible to miss. ” |
| 96/100 William Kelley | RobertParker.com Mar 2023 |
| “A few years after its disgorgment now, the 2009 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill has digested its dosage and is beginning to offer up real complexity. Mingling aromas of freshly baked bread, honeycomb, crisp peach, pear and subtle hints of dried fruits, it’s medium to full-bodied, sapid and vinous, with bright acids, a pearly mousse and a long, saline finish. Exhibiting more structure than was apparent on release, this has always been a very approachable Churchill, yet it is really benefiting from age.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2008 |
| The 17th Churchill. After a rainy but mild winter without any prolonged cold spells, spring arrived with some very localised frosts. Cool weather returned in June and the infrequent sunshine prolonged the feeling of freshness. The spring to autumn weather was bright with sunny spells and the long, hot days and cool nights during September gave the grapes excellent acidity during the harvest period. The 2008 vintage is fast emerging as one of the best since the renowned and now-legendary 2002. |
| 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com April 2019 |
| “Real depth to the nose now. And to the palate. Firm and burly with a bit of chew still. Good density but arguably a slight lack of charm when I think of the Dom Pérignon 2008. Tight-knit and not yet fully unfurled.” |
| 96/100 Stephen Reinhardt | wineadvocate.com Jan 2020 |
| “Sourced in grand cru vineyards and blending Pinot Noir with Chardonnay, Pol Roger’s 2008 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill displays an intense straw-yellow/white-golden color and opens with a beautifully deep, fresh, concentrated and beautifully aromatic bouquet of perfectly ripe tropical fruits, refreshing lemons, very fine vanilla and brioche aromas. The attack on the palate is fresh and finessed, and in the following seconds, the 2008 reveals great airiness, precision, purity and intensity with a firm, persistent structure in the long, refreshing, perfectly balanced and mouthwateringly salty finish. The 2008 Winston Churchill is a highly complex yet focused and vitalizing prestige cuvée of great, great finesse, chalky expression and exciting elegance. It already drinks great but also indicates immense aging potential. It’s most likely one of the finest of this century and one of the greatest Churchills of modern times. Tasted from lot L82002894D in July 2018. Disgorgement date unknown. The wine will be released in the second half of this year.” |
| 97+/100 William Kelley | RobertParker.com Mar 2023 |
| “The 2008 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill continues to stand out as the finest rendition of this bottling released in the last 10 years. Just beginning to enter its early drinking window, it wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe apple, confit citrus and mirabelle plum mingled with notions of sweet spices, honeycomb, dried fruits and crème brûlée. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it’s layered and complete, with a racy spine of acidity and a long, penetrating finish.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2006 |
| The 16th Churchill. The 2006 vintage was a year of mixed weather. It began with a rainy spell and late spring, but with little or no frost in the vineyards. Early summer was positive, with the months of June and July creating perfect conditions for flowering. Although there were some storms in late-July, the overall health of the vines was great since the weather remained hot through to the harvest with spells of rain in August promoting even healthier grapes. The earliest parcels were picked on 6th September and the latest on 25th September. |
| 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com Sept 2017 |
| “Disgorged November 2016. Launched end of September 2017. Mainly Pinot Noir. Deep with impressively lively and tiny bead. Very intense with a fresh mint note. Round and magnificent. Excellent freshness. Impossible to spit. Beautiful balance. Satin-textured. Not as cigar-fumed as some vintages! A little mushroomy. Drink 2016-2030” |
| 95/100 James Suckling | Jamessuckling.com Nov 2017 |
| “Some reductive meaty notes of bacon fat and flint, with lemon cream and butter too, as well as a light forest berry edge and toasted hazelnuts. The palate has attractive lemon citrus cream flavor. Super pure, there’s power amongst the charm. This is a great ’06.” |
| 91-93/100 Essi Avellan | essiavellan.com July 2017 |
| “Rich evolved nose of ripe, sun-kissed fruit. Overt and sweetly fruity with pastry and baked apple. Full-on winey and round. Big plush style with some oxidative tones. Long and succulent with great concentration. Big, fleshy, even chewy, bold palate. ” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2004 |
| The 15th Churchill. 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. |
| 19/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2019 |
| “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.” |
| 94/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Aug 2016 |
| “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.” |
| 92-95/100 Essi Avellan | essiavellan.com Sept 2016 |
| “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. ” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2002 |
| The 14th Churchill. The 2002 vintage shaped up magnificently over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness. Generally considered one of the best harvests in the last twenty years. |
| 18/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com June 2014 |
| “Pale coppery gold. Gosh, amazingly developed and surely a little oaky on the nose. And then extremely refreshing on the palate – much more so than the nose suggested initially. Very dry finish – a substantial, muscular wine!” |
| 95/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Nov 2015 |
| “The 2002 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is wonderfully open, expressive and resonant. The richness of the vintage comes through nicely, yet the more overt elements are very nicely balanced by a good deal of freshness. Baked apple, pastry, candied lemon, dried flowers and warm, toasty notes shape the generous, resonant finish. With time in the glass, the 2002 takes a on a striking, vinous character. Readers might want to consider opening the 2002 a few hours in advance, as it really blossoms with air.” |
| 97/100 James Suckling | Jamessuckling.com Aug 2014 |
| “Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill was just recently released in Italy where I have been spending most of the summer, and after trying some, it underlines just how great the 2002 vintage is for Champagne. It’s the last of the great cuvée Champagnes to be released on the market following Salon a few months earlier, and I think it is one of the best ever from Pol Roger. The 2002 Sir Winston shows surreal aromas of dried apples, cream, mangos, and ginger that follow through to a full palate with a velvety texture and a lively finish. It opens with air, which suggests decanting. (Yes. You can decant Champagne!) It’s extremely enjoyable to drink now, unlike a number of the top 2002 Champagnes at the moment that still need more bottle age. Don’t miss this one if you love Pol Roger. It’s a classic.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2000 |
| The 13th Churchill. The year of the millennium provided plenty of challenges with a dry May and severe hail in July. A fine Indian summer helped the vintage “come right” at the last minute, with warm and dry weather remaining until the end of the harvest. |
| 96/100 Roger Voss | Wineenthusiast.com Dec 2014 |
| “Dedicated to the memory of the British wartime Prime Minister, who regularly drank Pol Roger, this is always a superlative Champagne. This 2000, at 14 years old, has developed a pal gold color and toastiness. That intensifies the mature flavours and rich texture, while allowing the tight mousse and acidity to keep a sense of structure. It will age much further, although it is perfectly ready to drink now. ” |
| 94/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Dec 2012 |
| “The first thing that is evident about the 2000 Brut Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill is its finesse and total silkiness. The 2000 is a rich, creamy and deeply expressive Winston Churchill. I don’t see the 2000 being an especially long-term ager, but it is wonderfully radiant and open today. Hints of pastry, spice, apricots and succulent ripe pears blossom on the expansive, broad-shouldered finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1999 |
| The 12th Churchill. The 1999 harvest saw extremely healthy vineyard conditions follow a peculiarly mild winter. A sunny and mild September ensured many parcels performed very well, particularly Pinot Noir. |
| 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2019 |
| “A green harvest was applied to this copious crop. Hemp and interest on the nose. Very vivacious and lively. Powerful with real pzazz. Admirable savour.” |
| 94/100 Antonio Galloni | Vinous.com Dec 2010 |
| “The 1999 Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, from magnum, is wonderfully rich and expansive, proving yet again jut how well suited the big bottle is to Champagne. Smoke, peaches, mint and flowers are just some of the nuances that flow from this textured kaleidoscopic Champagne. The wine continues to gain focus and breadth through to the enticing, brilliant finish. Disgorged July, 2009. Magnum” |
| 18/20 Julia Harding | jancisrobinson.com Jun 2016 |
| “Magnum. From a Farr Vintners private client. Tasted blind. Mid gold. Not a great deal of mousse. Cedary complex yeast aromas. Lightly honeyed but so fresh with lemon and orange citrus on the palate. Gentle mousse and relatively soft on the palate, plenty of red fruit and just a hint of tannin. Subtle and gentle with some bruised apple and gingerbread maturity. Really persistent with that Pinot fruit. Deep and long and spiced as it opens up. My guess: 1998 magnum. Julia Harding MW” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1998 |
| The 11th Churchill. The 1998 vintage shows all the hallmarks of a truly outstanding year. The features of the vintage were a high natural sugar content in the grapes and an excellent level of acidity, indicating an exceptional overall balance and long ageing potential. |
| 17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Very developed, with a certain musty-cellar funk that delivers mature satisfaction. Fresh green-apple skin adds enough zip and balance, and there is wonderful persistence too. Despite the development of the nose there are a few more years of cellaring potential on the palate.” |
| 94/100 Antonio Galloni | wineadvocate.com Nov 2008 |
| “The 1998 Brut Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill opens with intriguing, exotic notes of smoke, cured meats and tar. This is a big, sweeping Sir Winston Churchill endowed with layers of perfumed ripe pears, quince, flowers and spices in a style that balances a generous expression of fruit with acidity and minerality. Everything is in the right place in this delicate yet deeply satisfying Champagne. This bottle was disgorged at the beginning of 2007. ” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1996 |
| The 10th Churchill. Among those masterpieces that made the 20th century lighter and more beautiful, Champagne Salon punctuated the years with its 33 vintages. 1990, the last one for the moment, arrives with the new century: it is one of the most beautiful and the most charming. |
| 17.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2019 |
| “The tenth vintage of Pol’s prestige cuvée (1975 was the first). Very sturdy, powerful and dry. Savoury again and with the green streak of this high-acid vintage, which Pol assessed as having ‘the hallmarks of a Churchill vintage. Early comparisons were drawn with 1955.’ More youthful than the 1999.” |
| 93+/100 William Kelley | robertparker.com Mar 2023 |
| “The most tightly wound, compact wine in this vertical tasting was also, paradoxically, the oldest, but that won’t surprise readers who know the 1996 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Opening in the glass with notes of iodine, confit orchard fruit, tangerine, smoke and buttered toast, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and tensile, with a seamless, beautifully balanced profile and a classy, somewhat more reserved, intellectual profile than the younger vintages that followed it. This serious but harmonious 1996 will still improve with additional cellaring.” |
| 95/100 Antonio Galloni | vinous.com Oct 2014 |
| “Pol Roger’s 1996 Winston Churchill is fabulous. One of the most expressive, complete 1996s today, the Winston Churchill is in a great spot. Butter, spice, almond and lemon oil notes meld together effortlessly in the glass. In 1996, the Winston Churchill is a clear overachiever. Best of all, it remains reasonably priced vis-à-vis its peers.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1995 |
| The 9th Churchill. A welcome relief after some difficult years in the region. Quantity-wise, it was the seventh high-cropping year in a row. But, in 1995, the quality also excelled, and particularly so for Chardonnay. There were significant frost damages during the spring and the warm but wet weather in the summer ignited mildew and rot problems. The vines cropped heavily and rigorous vineyard work and selection during harvest led to best results. Harvest commenced on September 18th and yielded grapes of a fine balance of sugar and acidity. The vintage has turned out to be much better than first expected and it has emerged from the shadow of the much-hyped 1996. This vintage is marked by elegance of its inviting fruitiness, beautiful balance and slow-building finesse. |
| 17/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “There’s a certain maderisation on the nose. The fruit has a cooked note, but the palate remains balanced and there is plenty of fizz still to enjoy. It’s recognisably champagne, and recognisably Pinot Noir with beautiful concentration and definition – despite the baked notes on the nose. ” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1993 |
| The 8th Churchill. This promising year deteriorated in September with frequent rains resulting in swollen bunches and increasing rot issues. A regular-sized crop was picked commencing September 8th. On paper, the ripeness and acidity levels achieved are less favourable than those of 1992 |
| 17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “After a slightly worrying nose, showing mustiness that bears a resemblance to taint, there is beautiful conviction and definition on the palate – self-assured, soft, balanced, dry and incredibly well preserved. Tight-knit and mature but still going strong – has the wisdom of age, and that first suspicious aroma seems to reduce with air..” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1990 |
| The 7th Churchill. Originally hailed as the best of the 1988/1989/1990 trilogy, the wines have developed quicker than anticipated with premature oxidation showing in some ’90 champagnes. The 1990 vintage experienced some frost damage early in the year, particularly during April. However, a superb summer helped the grapes thrive in their growth. Due to the long days and summer sun combined with cool nights, the grapes had excellent alcohol and acidity levels. 1990 produced the ripest wines since 1959. Now in 2025 likely fully mature to fading. |
| 18/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Cheese aromas – this is very much in the mature spectrum. But the palate is still alive and alert, with soft but persistent fizz. This has all the mystical complexity of mature wine. It’s such a dramatically different experience to the younger wines such as the extrovert 2012, but it is a beautiful example of great old champagne, a retired ballerina that is still graceful and alluring.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1988 |
| The 6th Churchill. The 1988 vintage was a late, rainy season with a good yield and perfect acidity. Generally considered a very good vintage, champagnes from this year are typically full-bodied and will remain in a condition of wonderful balance for a long time to come. In 2025 we would recommend drinking soon. |
| 17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Magnum. There’s definite dustiness on the nose, but then the palate delivers sublime complexity and balance. Rich, rotund and still surprisingly fizzy on the palate. The texture of the bubbles is super-fine, and the style is now more like great mature burgundy than champagne as we normally think of it. There’s a lingering floral note on the finish too.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1986 |
| The 5th Churchill. A difficult year, that ended with rain during harvest, requiring much sorting of the grapes. About three 1986’s stand out, Churchill in one along with Dom Ruinart and Clos du Mesnil. |
| 20/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Magnum. Wow! An absolute showstopper of a wine, with evocative and expressive aromas that resemble the reductive complexity of great white burgundy. A real outlier among the other vintages of this cuvée, and absolutely stunning in its esoterica. There’s such a stunning array of flavour here. At this age, there can surely be no better champagne than this.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1985 |
| The 4th Churchill. Severe winter temperatures and spring frosts did great damage, leaving many in the region unhopeful of a good year. The destruction was excessive especially in the northern Montagne de Reims, in the hillside vineyards west of Reims and in the Aube. The success of 1985 in Champagne was first and foremost due to the perfect health of the grapes (the cold winter helped). Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier displayed high degrees of ripeness, boding well for the birth of a great vintage. The grapes were full of finesse and elegance. All signs pointed to the fact that several years of ageing would result in a stunningly opulent wine. |
| 18/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Following the thrilling excitement of the 1986 in magnum, this 75-cl bottle of 1985 falls back into the convention of mature champagne, with dried fruit and earthiness. However, it is more alert and alive than the 1988. Long, mature nose, but there’s no autolytic character. Instead, this has the layers of dried citrus and apple that is less like champagne and more like the best appellations of the Côte de Beaune.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1982 |
| The 3rd Churchill. The 1982 vintage was near perfect, with an ideal growing season and probably one of the most generous yield in the history of Champagne with very little climatic trouble. Heat in June, July, August and September with sufficient rain at the right moments over vines which had rested well after the previous small crops, gave wines of excellent ripeness and fairly full character despite a record size crop. Picking began on September 17th and the weather stayed favourable until early October, with the last picked grapes showing some deterioration. All three varieties were successful but the Chardonnays were particularly fine. |
| 17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Nutty nose which makes me think of mature grand cru Chablis. The length, breadth and depth is absolutely in line with great burgundy – the only difference is the slightest fizz on the palate. Interesting how the autolysis gets lost in the mature folds of complexity. It’s delicious, although seems to be just past its peak.” |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1979 |
| The 2nd Churchill. An extremely cold winter delayed the start of the growing season and was followed by a cool spring with some frosts in May. As a result, growth was subdued but initial flowering was good. The weather improved in June and July with sunshine and gentle heat creating excellent conditions for ripening. Despite rainfall during harvest, sugar and acidity levels remained high and disease pressure didn’t mount too much of an assault, producing Champagnes of impressive character and length. On top of quality, great quantity was also achieved |
| 17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Magnum. Bizarre! No longer sparkling really, but still balanced and alive – if only just. There’s buttery character and dried fruit with smoke and library books. A panoply of broad flavours. A historical document that still has a story to tell.“ |
| Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1975 |
| The 1st Churchill. First vintage of the cuvée, released in 1984 only in Magnum. The late harvest, starting on 29th September brought surprisingly good results with low yields of 9000 kgs per hectare and bright acidities and potential alcohol of 9.3%. |
| 18/20 Richard Hemming MW | JancisRobinson.com Nov 2022 |
| “Magnum. Bronze colour, fully mature but still alive, and actually in a much happier state than some of the mid-90s vintages. It’s colourful, characterful, still very much alive and kicking – though the fizz has gone and the flavours have moved into a non-fruit spectrum almost entirely. A beautiful, noble specimen.“ |
