Pol Roger

Question 1

Pol-Roger Family

Answer 1

were the Roger family. family name changed in 1900 to Pol-Roger to honor founder who was only 19 when started house in 1849. Pol Roger so established a house when Pol’s sons Maurice and Georges took control in 1899 appended father’s first name to family’s last. Difficult to change name in France so presidential decree was required.

Question 2

Maurice Pol-Roger

Answer 2

Mayor of Epernay when Germans occupied. He was famous for withstanding German threat and was ultimately voted mayor for life in 1935

Question 3

Family run business

Answer 3

since 1964 Christian de Billy and Christian Pol-Roger (great grand sons of Pol Roger) have run company. Hired first outside manager in late 1990s (Patrice Noyelle) as chairman of the board. Laurent d’Harcourt (who had worked for Bruno Paillard) joined as export manager in 2001

Question 4

vineyards

Answer 4

until 1955 possessed no vineyards. Now has 89 hectares mostly located in Epernay area

Question 5

winemaker

Answer 5

Dominique Petit. Vineyard sources, other than Cramant, are not particularly impressive. The blender’s art is practiced with such skill that result is greater than sum of its parts.

Question 6

family palate

Answer 6

handed down from generation to generation. members of at least 2 generations present at each blending decision.

Question 7

winemaking

Answer 7

fermentation in state of the art stainless steel. Reserve wines stored in concrete vats.

double cold-settling of the must. practice brought from Billecart-Salmon by cellar master James Coffinet who copied practice from beer industry. The cleaner must allows abstention from filtering and produces bright, intensely fruity champagne

Question 8

cellars

Answer 8

cellars at Pol Roger are 9.5C (0.5 to 1.5C cooler than standard). This significantly slows 2nd fermentation and retards maturation resulting in greater finesse and longevity.

Question 9

hand-riddling

Answer 9

Pol Roger still hand riddles all bottles.

Question 10

Sir Winston Churchill

Answer 10

House linked to superfan Sir Winston Churchill. He became fond of Odette Pol-Roger and named a horse after her. He met Odette in 1944 but had been drinking Pol Roger since 1908. When Churchill died in 1965 Pol Roger placed a black border around the label of the white foil shipped to England. In 1984 launchd Sir Winston Churchill in homage (tribute Cuvee)