Pol Roger

History

Pol Roger made his first sale on 2 January 1849, at 18, after his father, a notary, fell ill. In 1851 the business moved from Aÿ to Épernay, and from 1855 he favoured brut wines, which he believed the English preferred. He died in 1899.¹ On 23 February 1900 part of the cellars and buildings collapsed; 500 casks and 1.5 million bottles were lost.¹

The house links its history to Winston Churchill, who was a client; Odette Pol-Roger became his friend in the 1940s, and the family home stands on rue Winston Churchill in Épernay.¹ The house says six generations of descendants have run it.¹

Vineyards

The house gives its own vineyard as 92 ha; the Union des Maisons de Champagne records the same figure, in 3 villages, and lists no outside owner group.^1,2

Wines

Dates given by the house: a vintage rosé in 1961, a blanc de blancs a few years later, the Cuvée Winston Churchill in 1975 (first released in magnums only), Rich, a demi-sec, in 2001, and Pure, an extra brut, in 2007.¹ See prestige cuvée.