2018 Pol Roger - Champagne Brut Cuvee Winston Churchill (750ml)

Pol Roger was founded in 1849 in Épernay and remains one of the last great Champagne houses that is both family owned and fully independent, now in its fifth generation under Laurent d'Harcourt and the de Billy family. The house farms ninety-two hectares spread across roughly twenty Grand Cru villages and is known for having some of the deepest cellars in Champagne, resting thirty-three meters below street level. Its prestige cuvée honors Sir Winston Churchill, whose friendship with the house began in 1945 through Odette Pol-Roger and lasted until his death, leading the family to name this wine after him in 1975.

The 2018 vintage, only the twenty-second release of this cuvée, is composed entirely of Grand Cru grapes, with Pinot Noir providing structure and Chardonnay adding finesse, though the exact proportions remain a closely guarded family secret. Each variety and village is vinified separately at low temperature before blending, and the wine completes full malolactic fermentation. The second fermentation and long lees aging take place in bottle within those deep cellars, with riddling still performed entirely by hand, a rare practice in modern Champagne.

This is an elegant, polished expression in the lighter, sunnier style of the 2018 growing season, showing subtle citrus, white peach, flowers, mint, and white pepper. The finish is clean and mineral, built more on finesse and persistence than sheer weight. It makes a striking match for caviar, raw fish, or a delicate seafood tartare.