PolRogerRose2002

Pol Roger was just nineteen when he founded his estate in 1849. Still a family-run enterprise, fifth generation Hubert de Billy is one of the descendants who manage the House today. With 89-hectares of vineyards supplying half of their grape requirements and illustrious premises containing immaculate facilities including pristinely polished stainless-steel tanks. Today they own 92 hectares of vineyards and its cellars in Epernay, just off the Avenue de Champagne run for 7.5 kms, 34 metres below the ground at a constant 9 Celsius.rrRemarkably, a small team of less than ten complete everything in the cellar by hand and Pol Roger boast four of the region’s remaining fifteen riddlers, who impressively turn over 60,000 bottles a day. Indeed, it is this style and their respect for tradition that initiated Sir Winston Churchill’s lifelong attachment to Pol Roger, who famously insisted: “In defeat I need it, in victory I deserve it.â€?Today, their prestige cuvée is named in honour of the great man.rrPol Roger do not make a non-vintage rosé, preferring to release only in vintage years. Brut Rosé Vintage is produced from some twenty Grand and Premier Crus in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. In order to obtain its delicate colour and subtle nose, 15% Pinot Noir from selected vineyards in Ambonnay, Bouzy and Cumières is fermented and added to the blend as red wine prior to the second fermentation. Second fermentation takes place in the coolest Pol Roger cellars, thirty-three metres below ground level at temperatures of just 9°C, some 2-3°C cooler than the cellars of other producers. The cooler cellars slow down bottle fermentation, producing a champagne with finer bubbles, a characteristic for which these small production releases of Pol Roger are known for.The 2012 vintage of rose is fresh and pure with an underlying chalky character and is one of those vintages that would age well for 10+ years.rrWeather: The 2002 vintage shaped up ideally over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness.rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru: Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs| Red Wine: Ambonnay, Bouzy, CumièresrGrape Varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay | inc. 15% Red WinerAgeing: 7 years on the leesrDisgorged:November 2009rDosage: 8 g/lrAlcohol: 12.5%rDrink: Now to 2030rrTasting Note: A delicate, soft pink with Pol Roger’s hallmark fine mousse. The nose is fresh, lively and fruity. First impressions are of red fruits, strawberry and raspberry, with a fresh but lingering bouquet. This is followed by warmer notes of wheat and dried cereals. Powerful and vinous in the mouth, the wine develops a fleshy texture underpinned by a firm backbone promising a long life.