1995 Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill

Disgorged 02 mar 05. Mid green gold. A certain sweetness on the nose – perhaps not quite as ‘serious’ as the 1996. The simplest wine of all these. Fine, well made, well balanced with a suggestion of apples but not as captivating as the other vintages. Good texture. Easy and relatively open. (JR)

Medium straw, with a powerful mousse. Dense and earthy on the nose, with strong toasty and buttery tones layered on ripe apple and pear fruit. This is both very '95 in a positive sense and very Pol Roger. Fat and round in the mouth, with extravagant flavors of buttered toast, ripe orange and poached pear, complemented by subtle notes of cinnamon and mace. A lush, velvety Champagne that completely fills the mouth with flavor and creamy texture. This would go wonderfully with absolutely anything-or on its own.

Soil-inflected aromas of toffee, nuts, white chocolate, menthol and iodine. Superconcentrated, dense and ripe; seems like a full dosage, but the impression of sweetness may be partly due to the wine's thick extract and solidity. Extraordinarily tactile, chewy Champagne that will need several years to harmonize and may ultimately merit a score in the mid-90s. Today, this is heavier and richer than the 1993 was two years ago, no surprise given the styles of these two vintages.