"With its splendid intense golden hue and lovely bright tints, this wine is captivating to the eye. The nose is subtle and opens with scents of dried flowers (rose petals) delicately mingled with peppery notes, revealing a lovely freshness. After breathing, a few hints of vanilla and candied fruit come through to complete a well-developed bouquet. On entry to the palate, the wine is well balanced and underpinned by a hint of citrus fruit, conrming the intense freshness found on the nose. It then shows itself to be enchanting and luscious, revealing notes of zesty citrus fruit, quince and green tea, magnied by deliciously elegant bubbles, characteristic of this wine of power and character. The high proportion of Pinot Noir in the blend lends the wine structure and length as well as a perfect balance of generosity and elegance. The Sir Winston Churchill 2013 is a veritable symphony of sensations."
The Story of The Vintage:
Winter was cold with little sunshine; it was marked by frequent frosts and several incidences of snowfall. The onset of spring-like weather was delayed, and the month of May saw a return of unseasonably low temperatures and high rainfall. June saw a return of normal temperatures. July and August were hot, sunny and dry. A spell of rain at the beginning of September allowed the grapes to swell. Thankfully drier weather encouraged full maturation of the vines, albeit a fortnight late compared to the average of the last ten years.
Harvesting started on 24th September and lasted until 9th October. The 2013 crop showed a potential degree of alcohol of 9.8%vol and a total acidity of 8.4gH2SO4/l.
Vinification and Maturation:
The must undergoes two débourbages (settlings), one at the press house immediately after pressing and the second, a débourbage à froid, in stainless steel tanks at 6°C over a 24 hour period. A slow cool fermentation with the temperature kept under 18°C takes place in stainless steel with each variety and each village kept separate. The wine undergoes a full malolactic-fermentation prior to final blending.
Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle at 9°C in the deepest Pol Roger cellars (33 metres below street level) where the wine is kept until it undergoes remuage (riddling) by hand, a rarity in Champagne nowadays. The very fine and persistent mousse for which Pol Roger is renowned owes much to these deep, cool and damp cellars.
Region:
Champagne
Grape Variety:
Chardonnay
Grape Variety:
Pinot Noir
Bottle Size:
750ml
ABV:
12.5%
Vintage:
2013
