Pol Roger

Pol Roger was born on 24 December 1831 and made his first wine sale in January 1849, founding what would become one of Champagne's most storied houses. Originally operating from Aÿ, the firm relocated to Épernay in 1851. As early as 1855, Pol Roger favoured the production of brut Champagne, recognising the style preferred by English customers. By the time the founder died in 1899, the house had built an enviable reputation. A catastrophic cellar collapse in 1900 destroyed around 1.5 million bottles, yet the family rebuilt. Today, six generations of descendants have continued the founder's exacting standards.

• First wine sale January 1849 in Aÿ; moved to Épernay 1851; first commercial releases 1853
• Favoured brut production from 1855, anticipating the tastes of the English export market
• Cellar collapse in 1900 destroyed approximately 1.5 million bottles; the house recovered under the founder's sons Maurice and Georges
• Six generations of family involvement; a member of the Primum Familiae Vini grouping of leading family-owned wine estates

Pol Roger occupies a distinctive position in the Champagne hierarchy: genuinely prestigious and widely collected, yet fiercely independent from the luxury conglomerates that now control many grandes marques. This independence allows the house to prioritise extended lees aging, manual riddling, and family-controlled blending decisions over volume maximisation. The house's close historical ties to both the British Royal Family and Winston Churchill make it a touchstone for understanding the longstanding relationship between Champagne and British culture, and its traditional methods are essential reference points for wine certification study.

• One of the last true grandes marques to remain entirely family-owned and independent
• The last major Champagne house to perform all riddling by hand, with four of Champagne's last ten remuageurs employed here
• Two generations of the family must jointly approve every final assemblage, ensuring stylistic continuity
• Held Royal Warrant to Queen Elizabeth II; a benchmark for understanding Champagne's historic English connections

Pol Roger owns 92 hectares of vines spread across 23 communes in the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne, supplying approximately half of the house's fruit needs. The remainder is sourced exclusively from growers in the same villages where Pol Roger itself holds vines, ensuring stylistic consistency. Grand Cru holdings include Avize, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, and the celebrated Cramant parcel on the Côte des Blancs, as well as a 3.5-hectare Clos in Pierry. The house did not begin purchasing its own vineyards until 1955, building its estate gradually over subsequent decades.

• 92 hectares across 23 communes; roughly 50% of fruit sourced internally, remainder from growers in the same villages
• Grand Cru parcels include Avize, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy, and Cramant; plus a 3.5-hectare Clos in Pierry
• Montagne de Reims holdings centred on Mailly, Verzenay, Ambonnay, and Bouzy contribute the Pinot Noir backbone of flagship cuvées
• Vineyard acquisition began only in 1955; today the estate is cultivated with the same attention to detail as winemaking

Pol Roger's portfolio covers non-vintage and vintage expressions across several styles. The Brut Réserve non-vintage is an equal-parts blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The portfolio also includes a Pure (Extra Brut, no added sugar, launched 2007), a Rich (demi-sec, launched 2001), and three vintage-dated wines: Brut Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, and Rosé Vintage. At the summit sits the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, a Pinot Noir-dominant vintage cuvée sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards, released only in exceptional years and always later than the other vintage releases. Its exact blend is a closely guarded family secret.

• Brut Réserve NV: equal thirds Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier; the house entry point and volume leader
• Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill: Pinot Noir-dominant prestige cuvée from Grand Cru vineyards only; released around 10 years post-vintage in exceptional years exclusively
• Pure (Extra Brut, zero dosage): launched 2007; showcases the house's natural acidity and minerality
• Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Vintage: vintage-dated expressions; the rosé is produced only in vintage format

Winston Churchill first drank Pol Roger in 1908 and remained a devoted customer for the rest of his life. His close personal friendship with Odette Pol-Roger, whom he met at a luncheon at the British Embassy in Paris in November 1944 hosted by British ambassador Duff Cooper, deepened the bond between Churchill and the house. After Churchill's death in 1965, Pol Roger placed a black border on the labels of Brut NV bottles shipped to the United Kingdom as a tribute. In 1975, on the 10th anniversary of his death, the house created the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill; the wine was first released in 1984 at Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace.

• Churchill a customer since 1908; said to have consumed 42,000 bottles of Pol Roger over his lifetime
• Named one of his prize-winning racehorses 'Pol Roger'; the filly won at Kempton Park in 1953
• Black border placed on UK-destined NV labels following Churchill's death in 1965, maintained for decades
• Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill first released at Blenheim Palace in 1984 (vintage 1975, magnum only); marks the 10th anniversary of his death

Pol Roger ferments its wines entirely in stainless steel, with reserve wines held in concrete tanks. The cellars in Épernay, running 9 kilometres and 33 metres below ground at a constant 9°C, are among the deepest and coolest in Champagne. This low temperature slows malolactic fermentation and contributes to the house's noted finesse and longevity. Pol Roger is the last major house to perform all riddling by hand, employing four of the last ten professional remuageurs working in Champagne today. Serve at 8 to 10°C to fully express the wine's aromatic complexity.

• Cellars: 9km long, 33 metres below ground, constant 9°C; slower fermentation contributes to house finesse
• Only major Champagne house to perform all riddling entirely by hand; among the last bastions of manual remuage
• First fermentation in stainless steel since 2011; reserve wines kept in concrete tanks
• Serve at 8 to 10°C; allow 30 minutes after removal from refrigerator for full aromatic expression