The Collection

The life of Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

At a very special event, Yuri Shima tastes back through the history of Pol Roger's legendary Sir Winston Churchill expression, all the way to its inaugural bottling

Words by Yuri Shima

Photography by Xavier Young

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 1999 and 2013 bottles laid flat

The direct descendants of Sir Winston Churchill were among those in attendance as a statue of the great British statesman was unveiled in Champagne earlier in the year. The stately figure took up permanent position at the foot of Champagne Pol Roger’s new production centre to mark the 175th anniversary of the house. But it was also a moment that solidified the historic association between the brand and the Bulldog – a relationship I was lucky enough to gain a deeper understanding of at a rare Champagne tasting held at the end of 2023.

For the occasion, prominent Swedish wine collector Marina Olsson assembled a distinguished guest list for her Gomseglet Wine & Champagne Connoisseurs club, and for an unparalleled journey through the annals of one of Champagne’s most storied bottlings, Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, named after the wartime prime minister who died in 1965. At the tasting, we had the opportunity to savour all 21 vintages of this acclaimed wine – from the most recent, 2015, back to its first in 1975 (sadly, the 1993 was corked so does not appear in the tasting notes below).

Champagne Pol Roger – with its foundations laid in 1849 in Aÿ and a subsequent move to Epernay in 1851 – has fostered an enduring connection with the UK throughout, first granted the royal warrant by Queen Victoria in 1877. But the well-documented connection with Champagne lover Churchill runs deeper still and is one that the producer has continued to cultivate to this day.

Bastien Collard de Billy, a sixth-generation member of the Pol Roger family, shared his insights with the club via video call. Because Pol Roger is a family-owned maison, these insights were invaluable. He explained how the relationship started with Churchill as a loyal client. (The rumour is that Churchill consumed 42,000 bottles of Pol Roger in his lifetime.) As such, when Odette Pol Roger met Churchill at a party at the British Embassy in Paris in 1945, a profound friendship flourished. The Sir Winston Churchill cuvée was unveiled with the 1975 vintage in 1984.

When it matures, Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill shows distinctive notes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and cigars

Made predominantly with Pinot Noir and a small proportion of Chardonnay, the cuvée is said to represent the style of Champagne that Churchill best appreciated. Although the exact composition remains a closely guarded secret, Collard de Billy hinted that Pinot Noir might make up as much as 95% of the blend in some vintages.

Cuvée Winston is crafted exclusively in the finest years, and all the grapes come from grand cru villages. It undergoes a meticulous vinification process, with double cold-settling and primary fermentation in stainless-steel tanks at a low temperature to preserve fruit purity. A second fermentation and lees ageing take place in a deep cellar in Epernay (9km [5.5 miles] long and 33m [100ft] below ground) at a cool 9°C (48°F), which allows for slower maturation. The dosage is around 8g/l.

Purity of fruit, which this cuvée shows in its youth, is typical of Pol Roger wines. When it matures, it displays distinctive notes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and cigars. This is precisely what I found in the older bottles we tasted, such as the 2002, 1990 and 1979 vintages. It’s a happy coincidence that Churchill famously loved the flavour of cigar smoke as much as he did Pol Roger.

Acquiring the early vintages, particularly the inaugural 1975 and the rare 1979, posed a significant challenge, according to Olsson, which underscored the exclusivity of this experience. Collard de Billy confirmed such rarity: ‘We do not have any more 1975 bottles in our cellar.’

There was excitement, as well as a little nervousness, in the room when the fragile old corks of these precious magnums were rigorously pulled at the event’s finale. How amazing it was to taste through history, thinking about the birth of this prestigious cuvée and the unique stories that sit behind it.

Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill: 1975-2015

Producer Name Vintage Region Subregion
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2015
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2015 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2013
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2013 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2012
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2012 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2009
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2009 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2008
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2008 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2006
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2006 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2004
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2004 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2002
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2002 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2000
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2000 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1998
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1998 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1995
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1995 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1990
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1990 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1988
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1988 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1986
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1986 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1985
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1985 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1982
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1982 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (magnum) 1979
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (magnum) 1979 Champagne Champagne AOP
Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (magnum) 1975
Champagne , Champagne AOP
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (magnum) 1975 Champagne Champagne AOP
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