Champagne Pol Roger - Brut Blanc de Blancs 2013

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Striking moisture of freshly cut green zest, oscillation of green and yellow citrus fruit unrivalled in purity. The lemon verbena infusion and fragrances of old-fashioned candy and baking nougat reminds us of our purest memories. The gray, the stone is a saline flint. sculptural flint. The palate chisels uzu and combawa skins with an extreme stony, abruptly calcic dimension. The finish blends calisson, kumquat and fleur de sel with a vertical dimension purity, an irruption never felt before. Grandiose precision and new, original flavors. Ultimate.

About the domain :

This medium-sized company, founded in 1849 by Pol Roger, still belongs to the founding family and is now run by Laurent d'Harcourt. Official supplier to the Queen of England, the link with the neighboring kingdom goes far beyond purely mercantile relations, as Sir Winston Churchill also appreciated Pol-Roger wines and made them his preferred brand. In the last century, Pol-Roger's reputation has grown thanks to a number of top-class vintages that are indisputably among the gotha of champagnes, such as the cult 1928. The house is fortunate to have 90 hectares of vineyards, covering 65% of its needs, and has remained deliberately limited in its volumes, with one and a half million bottles produced each year, and an impressive stock of 9 million waiting in the cellar, hardly matched today.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

This Épernay-based trading house shipped its first bottles to England as soon as it was founded by the young Pol Roger in 1849. It quickly became famous in the kingdom, and forged close ties with British wine lovers, with Winston Churchill declaring his preference for Pol Roger champagne. The business remains family-owned, with 92 ha of vineyards. Hubert de Billy represents the 5th generation of the family on the Board; Laurent d'Harcourt, Chairman of the Board, succeeded Patrice Noyelle in 2013. Dominique Petit, cellar manager, retired in 2018, leaving his post to Damien Cambres, former manager of the Goutte d'or cooperative in Vertus.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the domain :

A favorite house of Sir Winston Churchill, Pol Roger was founded in 1849. The company's 89 hectares of vines are spread across the terroirs of the Marne Valley, Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs. Initially dominated by Pinot Noir, the wines now benefit more from the elegance of Chardonnay. With a stock of 8 million bottles being aged, equivalent to 4 to 5 years' sales, Pol Roger is one of the "smallest" of the great Champagne houses! Its governance remains strictly family-based.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Pol Roger's Blanc de Blancs 2013 is very attractive, unfolding in the glass with scents of crisp orchard fruit, citrus zest, sourdough bread, custard and almonds. Medium- to full-bodied, taut and incisive, it's more chiseled than the richer, more concentrated 2012, with racy acids and a slightly reductive edge, finishing with a chalky grip. This is a true classic in style and should develop beautifully with age on cork.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A difficult vintage, 2013 partially spared the Chardonnays, which give this cuvée lovely elegance, pleasant refinement and an airy finish.

About the domain :

Pol Roger is an authentic Champagne icon, exemplary in the precision, generosity and consistency of its range. The vineyards are planted on the slopes of Épernay, in the Côte des Blancs, as well as in Mareuil and Ambonnay, all terroirs that are sources of high quality and consistency. The three grape varieties are present in thirds, as for the purchases (a balance that is reflected in the cuvées); malolactic fermentation is systematic (which brings roundness); settling is done cold (for aromatic intensity). Pol Roger is the last house of its size to stir its 1.6 million annual bottles by hand in its 7.5 km of Sparnac cellars. The cuvées are differentiated by the ageing of the reserve wines, as well as by the origin of the crus. Pol Roger has rediscovered the style and generosity of the wines that made him famous in the 1960s, with cuvées such as Sir Winston Churchill (only ten vintages produced in thirty years) or the cuvée blanc de blancs millésimée, the paragon of racy champagnes that age remarkably well. Damien Cambres has replaced Dominique Petit as cellar master.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Crisp apples and tight minerality come together in a satisfyingly mature wine. It's young, showing its fruity side and only just evolving towards its future complexity. But it will be a fine, structured champagne. Drink from 2022.