2016 Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs

Full bottle 1,572 g. A relatively late vintage with flowering around 10 days later than the 10-year average, in fairly good conditions, on 24 June for the Chardonnay that makes up this wine – all from the grand cru villages of the Côte des Blancs apparently: Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger – though there is no Grand Cru on the front or back labels. There were a few hailstorms in July, but August finally brought warm, sunny weather with little rain, allowing the soil to dry out and the ripening to proceed smoothly although there was marked disparity in ripeness between sectors and plots, which required careful management of picking schedules. Harvest started on 10 September but continued into October. Average potential alcohol was 9.8% and average acidity was 7.4 g/l. Two settlings, one at the press house and one in the cellar, before cool fermentation in tank and full malo, with each variety and cru kept separate until the final blending. Hand riddling after long ageing on lees before disgorgement and dosage of 7 g/l. Six months’ rest before shipment.  Richer than most Blanc de Blancs – very much more a Pol Roger than a typical Blanc de Blancs. There’s a little saline note on the end and the wine is admirably fresh for 10 years old but I’d rather have a bit more refreshment in my Blanc de Blancs. A long, rich finish. (JR)

The 2016 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut pours a brilliant yellow hue and opens with white peach, pear, white flowers, white grapefruit, and delicate shortbread dough. Disgorged in July 2024, it’s medium-bodied and refreshing, and for the Blanc de Blancs, the house likes to give these wines at least one year after disgorgement for better balance. Medium-bodied on the palate, this reveals lemon meringue and pretty floral notes. With elegance, freshness, and purity, it’s approachable now without being overbearing and should drink well for 10-15 years. The wines for this report were tasted both at the estate with chef de cave Damien Cambres and in my office in New York. Pol Roger is a sixth-generation, family-owned business founded in 1849 that is based in Epernay and solely focused on Champagne. Damien Cambres replaced former chef de cave Dominique Petit in 2018. Since 2011, they have fully moved to stainless steel fermentation and aging. They house 9.5 kilometers of cellars that are notably deep at 33 meters underground and employ four full-time riddlers to turn the bottles and carefully collect sediment from them. (Only 11 exist in the region today.) This year, they completed a new facility for packaging and shipping that rests on the footprint of the historical site of the original cellars, which disastrously collapsed in 1900, destroying 1.5 million bottles. They own 92 hectares today and produce approximately 1.7 million bottles annually. Pol Roger is a Pinot Noir-based house that focuses on the art of blending. The wines tend to strike a balance of refinement in the mousse without shying away from power and structure across the range.

Very cool and bright, this shows aromas of grapefruit, candied lemons, sliced pears and fresh croissants. It\'s racy on the palate, with lively acidity and very fresh citrus fruit flavors. Vivid, but also silky in texture. Grand cru chardonnay from Cote des Blancs. Disgorged 2024. Drink now or hold.