Pol Roger Tasting

[Skeeter]

First off: Christian Pol-Roger may describe himself as a “bad actor”, but I could listen to him talk all day. Witty, charming and very well-spoken, he didn’t seem to draw breath for ninety minutes with his encyclopaedic wine knowledge, his family anecdotes and his numerous stories about Pol Roger devotee, Sir Winston Churchill. But on with the wine.

Pol Roger Brut NV: We started with the non-vintage, of course, and it’s as good as it ever was. Lemony, crisp with excellent length and elegance. Tiny, persistent mousse, apparently due to the natural refrigeration qualities of the Pol-Roger catacombs. According to C p-R, it’s an excellent aperitif and a match to seafood and cheeses. Big Tick, of course. In fact, just assume a Big Tick unless I say other wise.

1999 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs: Drier and toastier than the NV, really filling the nose. Complex and long, with an excellent yeasty follow-through on the back palate. Great stuff.

1999 Pol Roger Rose: Light salmon colour… and I was pleased to her C P-R use that term AFTER I’d written it down in my notes. I’m getting better at this! Beautiful strawberry/raspberry/light cherry flavours. Dry, long, great depth. Quite a Big Tick for this one.

1998 Pol Roger Mellower nose than the ’99, but probably the highlight of my day. Fresh bread, toasty highlights, massively complex and full. Just stunning. The first-ever recipient of a Big Tick o’ Approval Plus. Yep, so good I had to invent a new designation. Impressive.

1998 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill: A bonus wine, and what a bonus it was. Still youthful, but well-rounded, mouthfilling and deep. Subtle citrus notes, obviously still unfolding. C P-R talked of its long aging potential. I’d have to agree. Too bad I can’t afford it.

Pol Roger Cuvee Rich NV: A demi-sec Champagne, with subtle sweetness (34g/l) and rich flavours. Less citric than it’s brut brothers it was a much different beast, but still very good. I’d personally stick to the dry NV, though.


All in all, there's worse ways to spend an afternoon. [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[winoweenie]

I totally agree about the way to spend an afternoon there Skeets! You could also add morning, lunch, dinner or beddie-bye! Love my "Breakfast of Champions". WW [img]http://wines.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

[TheEngineer]

That sounded like a great way to spend an afternoon! Envious here [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

[wdonovan]

Never been a big PR fan. We think the NV is too sweet, bordering on what we'd call an extra dry but.... We were given a '98 about 6 months ago and served it at a dinner party last Saturday (against lobster & crab cannelloni with a tomato / cream sauce). We were both impressed. Seemed like from a different Champagne house than the off-the-rack NV. Very elegant bottle. Placed just right for our pairing, it was right in the middle of the road, bodywise. Good fruit and yeast that gave it complexity without overpowering the fruit. I may get a couple more while they're available.