2016 Pol Roger Brut Vintage
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Tasting notes
Toasty, smoky aroma with baked apple and lemon zest, creamy texture, umami mushroom flavour on the length. Classically styled, as typical and traditional as ever. Much richer and bolder than their non-vintage, and absolutely ready to drink now. It could age, but I'm not sure you need it to. (RH)
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Blend of 20 grands crus and premiers crus from a later-than-usual vintage, picked from 10 September until early October. Average potential alcohol was 9.8% and average acidity was 7.5 g/l in sulphuric. Full malo. Dosage 7 g/l. Very tight, dense nose with some honey and orange notes on the palate. Already very drinkable with the acidity not especially noticeable, although presumably it will gain in aromatic complexity with bottle age. I found it less than enthralling when I first tasted it and gave it a score of 16.5 but when I was served a glass blind from my re-stoppered bottle a few days later, I was impressed. So is the lesson, don't rush your pleasures? (JR)
About the producer
Pol Roger is one of Champagne’s most respected Grandes Marques. While it is best known undoubtedly for its prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, it also produces one of the finest non-vintage bottlings on the market.