Pol Roger Reserve Brut Champagne NV

92pts Wine Advocate:
Straw yellow and with a golden hue in color, the Pol Roger NV Reserve Brut displays a brilliant, perfectly ripe but also fresh, highly elegant and refined fruit aroma on the nose; think of cooked pip fruits like pears and apples, but also quince-confiture and yellow stone fruits, such as apricots and peaches intermixed with vanilla, brioche (pain aux raisins), some nutty flavors and also some white floral notes. On the palate, this medium-bodied Brut is as round (if not pretty sweet) and fruit-driven as it is delicate, pure and very elegant. The mousse is deliciously fine and leads this charming and perfectly balanced fizz to a long, aromatic, stunningly dry and slightly mineral, impressively long finish. This is extremely well done Champagne from equal parts of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay sourced in 30 different crus. This Reserve includes 25% of reserve wines and was dosed with nine grams per liter.

The "White Foil" is sourced from top quality vineyards in Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir), Vallee de al Marne and Petite Valle d'Epernay (Pinot Meunier) and the Cote des Blancs (Chardonnay). Pol Roger "White Foil" is traditionally a blend of equal parts Pinot Noir (body and depth), Pinot Meunier (freshness and vigorous fruit) and Chardonnay (elegance and finesse) and is sourced exclusively from juice from the "cuvee" (first pressing). Each final blend contains a minimum of two vintages with the youngest components being a minimum of three years old. Average dosage for the "White Label" is 8g per liter.

The Pol Roger family takes extreme pride in more than 160 years producing some of world’s finest Champagne. Founded in 1849, Pol Roger is one of only a few Grande Marque Champagne houses that remains family owned and operated. Pol Roger owns close to 50% of the vineyards used for their Champagne production, a true rarity in this region of large firms. Using strict guidelines, grapes are sourced exclusively from 1er and Grand Cru vineyards that rate at an average of 95 points on the Echelle des Crus classification system. (In each vintage, the Echelle des Crus system, or ladder of growths, operates on a percentile basis to fix grape prices of each cru, or delimited vineyard area in the Champagne appellation; Pol Roger’s vineyards, therefore, rank close to the highest quality possible among the Grande Marque Champagne houses.) Prior to final blending each lot is aged on its own, separated by village, vineyard, grower and grape variety. Once blended, each bottle of Champagne Pol Roger is hand riddled in the cellars deep below the Epernay chateau. In effect, each bottle of Cuvee Champagne is hand-made. Pol Roger Champagnes are the marriage of power and elegance. "Pol Roger is the 'gentlemen's' Champagne", as Jean-Paul Kauffman wrote in 'Voyage en Champagne'. "It is not surprising, therefore, that Winston Churchill, and even the British royal family should have made it their favorite over the years. This refinement reflects a whole lifestyle. It is also a source of infinite pleasure. Pol Roger Champagne has a soul, created by the union of a family's spirit and the character of a vineyard".

Fun Fact: Champagne Pol Roger is delighted that their Brut Reserve Non Vintage, has been chosen to be served at the reception following the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales to Miss Catherine Middleton on 29th April 2011.