1964 Pol Roger Brut Vintage

This ancient, classically labelled, unflashy bottle carried a wealth of information. There was a seal applied by Berry Bros, the wine was especially for the British market, and the label had a black border in commemoration of Pol Roger's most famous enthusiast, Sir Winston Churchill, who had died in 1965 (this bottle would not have been labelled until well into the 1970s). The wine was a pale toast colour and was still reasonably fizzy. It was certainly quite rich; I would imagine the dosage was a lot higher than it would be today. This was a hugely satisfying and impressively lively wine and a triumph of ageing – a good start. (JR)