Pol Roger has launched its Sir Winston Churchill prestige cuvée from 2013, the last late harvest in Champagne. The bottling was unveiled by the great-great-grandson of Pol Roger, Hubert de Billy, alongside the maison’s president, Laurent d’Harcourt.
According to d’Harcourt, the Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2013 cuvee has the structure to be a very long lived expression, and should outshine the heralded 2012 harvest. In fact, he went as far as to compare it to 1998 and 1985 vintages, which, despite not being celebrated at the time, have gone on to produce outstanding wines.
The 2013 vintage is the 20th release of Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, the brand’s top expression. The first release was the 1975 vintage, which was launched in 1984–10 years after Churchill’s death–at his ancestral home Blenheim Palace to coincide with the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Every vintage of Sir Winston Churchill must be given the blessing of the Churchill family before it is released to the market.
On the nose, the Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2013 offers scents of dried flowers, delicately mingled with peppery notes, hints of vanilla and candied fruit. The palate is well balanced and underpinned by a hint of citrus fruit” with flavors of zesty citrus, quince and green tea.
Harvesting in 2013 began on September 24 and lasted until October 9, yielding a crop with a potential degree of alcohol of 9.8% and a total acidity of 8.4gH2SO4/l. The resulting Champagne is made from a pinot noir dominant blend with chardonnay. It has a dosage of 7gr/l and is available in both a 75cl bottle and a 150cl magnum. It is priced at £235 per 75cl bottle.
For more information, head over to Pol Roger’s official website.
Last month, Champagne Pol Roger launched its latest vintage expression, which hails from the hot, dry and early 2015 harvest.
Last August, Pol Roger Portfolio added Domaine Vacheron to its burgeoning stable of brands, marking the Champagne maker’s British subsidiary’s first foray into France’s Sancerre region.
