Champagne Pol Roger - Brut Rosé 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Cherry-colored, the blood orange on the skin and pulp welcomes a concentrated red fruitiness. The budding aromas display a perfect vegetal note, the blackcurrant is now picked. The strawberry and raspberry flavors are bursting with fruity precision, the palate exudes tart clementine and fresh, finely tannic sap, and the grains of salt that pigment the finish linger with fascinating persistence. The finish stretches out with immense grace.

About the estate:

This medium-sized house, founded in 1849 by Pol Roger, still belongs to the founding family and is now run by Laurent d'Harcourt. As the official supplier to the Queen of England, its ties with the neighboring kingdom go far beyond purely commercial relations, as Sir Winston Churchill was also a fan of Pol Roger wines and made them his favorite brand. It developed over the last century thanks to high-quality vintages that are undoubtedly among the elite of champagnes, such as the 1928, which has become a cult favorite. The house is fortunate to own a 90-hectare vineyard that covers 65% of its needs. It has deliberately limited its production to 1.5 million bottles per year and has an impressive stock of 9 million bottles waiting in the cellar, which is virtually unmatched today.

Decanter

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

This Épernay-based champagne house shipped its first bottles to England shortly after it was founded by the young Pol Roger in 1849. It quickly became famous throughout the kingdom, forging close ties with British champagne lovers, and Winston Churchill was never shy about showing his preference for Pol Roger champagne. The business, which remains family-owned, is based on a 92-hectare vineyard. Hubert de Billy represents the fifth generation of the family on the board of directors, while Laurent d'Harcourt, chairman of the board, succeeded Patrice Noyelle in 2013. Upon his retirement in 2018, cellar master Dominique Petit handed over his position to Damien Cambres, former director of the Goutte d'Or cooperative in Vertus.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

Sir Winston Churchill's favorite house, Pol Roger was founded in 1849. Its 89 hectares of vineyards are spread across the Marne Valley, Montagne de Reims, and Côte des Blancs terroirs. Initially dominated by Pinot Noir, the wines now draw more on the elegance of Chardonnay. With a stock of 8 million bottles currently aging, representing 4 to 5 years of sales, Pol Roger is one of the "smallest" of the great Champagne houses! It remains strictly family-owned.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

I remembered the rather reserved phase I found Pol Roger's 2012 Brut Rosé to be in when I tasted it again in August to check on its development. A few months have made all the difference, and the wine is already more expressive, floating from the glass with a lovely bouquet of plums, red fruits, blood orange, and toasted brioche. On the palate, it is full-bodied, muscular, and vinous, with tremendous depth and structure, its ripe but racy acids balanced by considerable texture and concentration. Although still young, I tend to think I was very conservative about its ultimate potential.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Pol Roger is a true icon of Champagne, exemplary for the precision, generosity, and consistency of its range. The vineyards are planted mainly on the slopes of Épernay, on the Côte des Blancs, as well as in Mareuil and Ambonnay, all terroirs known for their high quality and consistency. The three grape varieties are present in equal proportions, as in the purchases (a balance that is reflected in the cuvées); malolactic fermentation is systematic (which brings roundness); and cold settling is used (for aromatic intensity). Pol Roger is the last house of this size to manually riddle its 1.6 million bottles per year on racks in its 7.5 km of cellars in Sparnacien. The cuvées are differentiated by the aging of the reserve wines, as well as by the origin of the crus. Pol Roger has rediscovered the style and generosity of the wines that made its fame in the 1960s, with cuvées such as Sir Winston Churchill (only ten vintages produced in thirty years) and the vintage blanc de blancs cuvée, the epitome of racy champagnes that age remarkably well. Damien Cambres has replaced Dominique Petit as cellar master.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

Jancis Robinson