Houses
Pol Roger
A family-owned house founded on the Avenue de Champagne in 1849, known for long lees-ageing, a discreet house style, and the prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.
- Founded
- 1849
- Location
- Épernay, Champagne, France
- Ownership
- Family-owned
- Known for
- Brut Réserve (NV) · Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (prestige) · Long lees-ageing on NV · Classic Pinot Noir–Chardonnay balance
- Official site
- www.polroger.com
Style
Pol Roger holds to a classical, restrained profile: balanced Pinot Noir / Chardonnay / Meunier blends, comparatively low dosage on the vintage wines, and non-vintage ageing that exceeds AOC minima (four years or more on the lees is typical).
Cuvées
- Brut Réserve — the non-vintage flagship, roughly equal thirds Pinot Noir / Chardonnay / Meunier.
- Pure Extra Brut — zero-dosage expression.
- Rich Demi-Sec — sweeter style.
- Blanc de Blancs Vintage — 100% Chardonnay, vintage only.
- Vintage / Rosé Vintage — classic millésime releases.
- Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill — the prestige cuvée, Pinot Noir–led, named for Sir Winston Churchill, a lifelong Pol Roger enthusiast. First vintage: 1975.
History
Founded by Pol Roger in 1849 at the age of 18, in Épernay. The house has remained in the same family for five generations and was run most recently by Hubert de Billy and now Bastien Collard de Billy. Churchill’s affection for Pol Roger is memorialised in the black banner added to the label after his death in 1965.
Cellars
Pol Roger’s cellars, at the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, lie unusually deep (up to 33 m) and are cold year-round, conditions the house credits for its distinctive long-ageing style.