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  • Country ranking ?

    1 105
  • Producer ranking ?

    44
  • Decanting time

    15min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Seared Fois Gras with Caramelized Apples

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The Story

Pol Roger recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and is perhaps best known as Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne. Established in 1849, Champagne Pol Roger remains family-owned and proudly independent to this day. Pol Roger, the 1831 born founder of the house, had lived in the Grand Cru village of Aÿ his whole childhood. The whole family supported the enterprise of their son. From early on Pol Roger focused in exports, and the English market was the most important one from the beginning. The commercial success of the company had its roots in the business model where they produced other champagne brands in the Pol Roger facilities. Pol Roger is one of the few remaining family owned Grande Marque champagne businesses.

 

The must undergoes two débourbages (settlings), one at the press house immediatly after pressing and the second, a débourbage à froid, in stainless steel tanks at 6°C over a 24 hour period. A slow cool fermentation with the temperature kept under 18°C takes place in stainless steel with each variety and each village kept seperate. The wine undergoes a full malolactic-fermentation prior to final blending. Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle at 9°C in the deepest Pol Roger cellars (33 metres below street level) where the wine is kept until it undergoes remuage (riddling) by hand, a rarity in Champagne nowadays. The very fine and persistent mousse for which Pol Roger is renowned owes much to these deep, cool and damp cellars.

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Vintage 2002

A cold winter and a mild late spring cued for a perfect June allowing early and fast flowering. Outstanding weather conditions prevailed and the season went on without dramatic turns. Rains in August raised concerns regarding gray rot, but finally sunshine and dry conditions throughout September resulted in an abundant crop of largely healthy fruit (11,930 kg/ha). Dehydration due to wind further aided in achieving perfect ripeness and additional concentration. This, and the cool nights, helped in retaining fresh acidity and, despite the ripeness (10.3% potential alcohol), the wines did not suffer from heaviness or a lack of life. A near-perfect vintage, which produced balanced Champagnes consistently around the region. The best show an impeccable combination of freshness, power, structure and finesse. However, some have matured aromatically quicker than expected and are already past their peak. 2002 produced an abundance of spectacular champagnes, such as Dom Pérignon (the entire range), Krug Vintage and Clos du Mesnil, Piper-Heidsieck Rare, Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Ruinart Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé, Salon Le Mesnil and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, to name a few.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

21 tasting notes

Tasting note

ending

Medium and Lingering

flavors

Mineral and Citrus

nose

Youthful, Pure, Fresh and Ripe

recommend

Yes

taste

High in Acidity, Perfectly balanced, Well-structured, Developing, Medium-bodied, Sharp, Elegant, Fresh, Fruity and Dry

Verdict

Excellent and Well made

Written Notes

It's hard to resist the charm offensive that this vintage immediately bombard us with. Classical Pol Roger with nut toffee in the background, the deep chocolate base at the very bottom and an airy stylishly integrated creamy and at the same time aristocratic fruit abundantly present in the middle. Already very harmonic.
  • 91p
Second wine of the day and by chance, the second time I had seen it this week, though the first time was from a magnum and, as lovely as it was here, the magnum whipped it head and shoulders. But this bottle far from disgraced – I have long thought 2002 Pol is a truly spectacular wine from a stunning vintage and a wine that would better most flagships from any other vintage. This was rich and intense, a light touch of honey, some hazelnut, lovely brioche notes. Has some maturity showing but lots of life left. A very good future awaits. I really like this wine. 95
  • 95p

Medium depths yellow but not as mature as one might expect from a 2002. Fine and prolific bubbles. Lovely toasty age to the nose. Excellent acidity.Strong and powerful toasty aromas. Delicious toasty rich palate. Slightly chalky. Long. Medium maturity, very sound for its age. ****

  • 93p
Pale straw yellow, tiny bubbles. Apples, minerals, very pure and clean nose. Fresh acidity, elegant mousse, lovely balance, fresh and lively, feels more mineraly than the BdB actually, long.
  • 92p
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Information

Origin

Epernay, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

No Potential

Fake factory

None

Drinking temperature

7

Other wines from this producer

Blanc de Blancs

Blanc de Blancs Vinothèque

Brut Réserve

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Vinothèque

Pol Roger Vinothèque

Pol Roger vintage rosé

Pure

Reserve de Wermacht

Rich

Sir Winston Churchill

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