Champagne Pol Roger: the most drinkable address in the world

One of the most highly regarded Champagne houses, Pol Roger maintains its premium quality, traditions such as hand-riddling bottles, and an outstanding reputation. Once the favourite Champagne of Sir Winston Churchill, Pol Roger is also supplying the Royal Households of the United Kingdom with Champagne.

Champagne Pol Roger is a family-owned winery located on the classic street Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, France. Founded in 1849, the fifth and sixth generations of the family are now running the business together. Production reaches two million bottles per year, most of which, according to tradition, are still riddled by hand in the 10-kilometre-long cellar.

Last year, Pol Roger celebrated its 175th anniversary. “Pol Roger built an impressive legacy, and today it’s one of the world’s most highly regarded independent Champagne houses,” says Carin Widoff, product manager at Ward Wines, an importer of quality wines for the Swedish market. Sir Winston Churchill even named Pol Roger as “the most drinkable address in the world.”

Major landowner and collapsed cellars

The history of the Champagne house is rich and, at times, dramatic. Pol Roger died in 1899 and the following year, the cellars and surrounding buildings collapsed and buried one and a half million bottles. “Some bottles were found a few years ago when building the new production site, but nobody knows how many are still buried underground,” says Widoff.

Following the catastrophe, Pol Roger’s sons built even deeper cellars, which resulted in a lower temperature with slower development of flavours and finer carbonation. It turns out that the deep and cool cellars offer perfect conditions for prise de mousse and ageing of Champagne.

Another milestone for the independent business was the acquisition of more land, much thanks to the family’s fourth generation. In the area, 90 per cent of the land is owned by the farmers, and the rest by the Champagne houses. Pol Roger owns an impressive 93 hectares of vineyards, which covers half of its needs, and the rest is provided by local farmers.

Vintage series and Sir Winston Churchill

Over the years, the style of Pol Roger’s Champagne has also changed. However, the house style has remained dry and crisp. One of the foremost producers, known for its clean and elegant Champagnes, Pol Roger was also named The World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand by Drinks International in 2019.

Pol Roger’s main product is Brut Réserve, a challenge for the winemakers as it should remain the same year after year. Brut Réserve is a fantastic apéritif Champagne, which is also excellent with elegant fish and seafood, and white cheeses.

Four out of seven products, around 25 per cent of Pol Roger’s production, are vintage Champagnes, such as the famous Rose Vintage with its deep colour and subtle nose. For Rose Vintage, Pol Roger uses 15 per cent Pinot Noir from selected vineyards such as Bouzy, Ambonnay and Cumieres, which are then vinified en rouge and added to the blend prior to the second fermentation.

Most famous is Prestige Cuvée, produced as a tribute to Sir Winston Churchill, who was a long-term and loyal supporter. It reflects the qualities that Churchill sought in his Champagne: a fi¬rm structure, a full-bodied character and relative maturity. The exact blend remains a family secret, but the composition would have met with the approval of the man to whom it is dedicated. “My tastes are simple, I am easily satis¬fied with the best,” Churchill famously said.

Royal Warrant and Vinothèque

Not surprisingly, Pol Roger has a strong position in the UK. The Champagne house proudly started to supply the Royal Households with Champagne for the first time in 1877 (under the reign of Queen Victoria), before Queen Elizabeth II. Last year, Champagne Pol Roger was granted a Royal Warrant by King Charles III.⁠

Sweden has also been an important market since 1894. In fact, this is now the third largest market after the UK and the US. In celebration of its 175th anniversary last year, Pol Roger launched the Vinothèque series with vintages that are aged even longer in the deep, cool cellars – a selected volume of which is available in the Swedish market.

“The launch of Vinothèque is a milestone,” adds Widoff. “Sweden is one of the few markets in the world to offer Champagne lovers something out of the ordinary – wines that have developed depth and nuances over a longer period. Trying older vintages and having the opportunity to follow the transformation that takes place over time is truly something special.”

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