{"title":"corporate champagne gifts","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"chartogne-taillet-cuvee-sainte-anne-nv-base-2018","title":"Chartogne-Taillet Cuvée Sainte Anne (Base 2018) NV","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Chartogne's largest cuvée, the tank-fermented Saint-Anne, is an excellent offering that remains great value.\"  Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChartogne-Taillet comprises 11 hectares of vineyards in the village of Merfy in the northernmost outpost of the Champagne region. The area has been planted with vines since the time of the Roman Empire. Winemaking in the family dates back to 1490 but it was only as recently as 2006, when Alexandre Chartogne took over the reins, that things really started to change. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHe is one of Champagne’s brightest young talents – his pure, energetic wines have set a new regional standard. His largest cuvée, the tank-fermented Saint-Anne, is an\u003c\/span\u003e outstanding champagne, fully the equal of much more pricey cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A Champagne that sets the mood from the first sip. The soft beads reflect the shimmer of indulgence. A richer style indeed, but so well balanced. It's a vinous style no doubt, with quite spectacular complexity that fills the mouth with croissant and marmalade. Fresh butter, pine nuts but with a streak of salinity that keeps the wine's longitude.\"  Wine Pilot\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The young star in Champagne is Alexandre Chartogne. He took over his father’s champagne house Chartogne-Taillet and turned it into one of the most desired companies among sommeliers of the best restaurants in the world.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJolanta Smiciene\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Base 2018: \u003c\/span\u003eA Champagne that sets the mood from the first sip. A golden colour in the glass indicates some richness. The soft beads reflect the shimmer of indulgence. A richer style indeed, but so well balanced. There are notes of baked apple, brown spice, chamomile, pear compote with a gingery finish. It's a vinous style no doubt, with quite spectacular complexity that fills the mouth with croissant and marmalade. Fresh butter, pine nuts but with a streak of salinity that keeps the wine's longitude.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is promising work from rising star Alexandre Chartogne, a disciple of Anselme Selosse who he describes as his 'wine father'. This is both a Winter's aperitif and a Summer's gastronomic wine on the table. Date tasted: October 2022.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eLiinaa Berry, Wine Pilot - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBase 2018: \u003c\/span\u003eThe NV Brut Cuvée Ste.-Anne is one of the great values in Champagne. Broad and creamy, with high-toned aromatics, the Cuvée Ste.-Anne is a total pleasure bomb. The intensity of the flavors is so beautifully dialed up. Orchard fruit, dried flowers and spice all flesh out effortlessly. More than anything, though, I admire the wine's balance and raciness. This release is based on 2018. Dosage is 5 grams per liter. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDisgorged: March, 2021.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAntonio Galloni, Vinous Media - 92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Base 2018: A distinctive Champagne, high-toned and floral with its cherry blossom and spice aromatics accenting the steeped raspberry, orange peel and salted almond flavors. Finely textured, like raw silk on the palate, this is bright and mouthwatering on the lingering finish. Disgorged January 2021. Drink now through 2024.\" \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator - 92 points \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlexandre Chartogne \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Chartogne-Taillet-AlexandreChartogne_60341ede-3d3f-4511-8d92-8c2382134b31_1024x1024.png?v=1703899920\" alt=\"Alexandre Chartogne from Chartogne-Taillet\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince taking over his family’s 12ha estate in 2006, Alexandre Chartogne has emerged as one of Champagne’s brightest rising stars. He uses organic treatments, promotes biodiversity through cover crops, and encourages deep-root systems through regular ploughing, often by horse rather than by tractor. In the cellar, each parcel is vinified separately with indigenous yeasts, in either oak barrels, stainless-steel tanks or concrete eggs, depending on the individual wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\"In the beginning was Anselme,\" recounts Alexandre Chartogne, when I ask him to tell the story of his meteoric rise to number among the stars of the grower Champagne movement. \"It was Anselme Selosse who taught me that a winegrower's responsibility is to understand his terroir. So I came home to Merfy and started digging holes.\" Chartogne duly discovered that his soils were very different from those of the Côte de Blancs, finding inter-fingering layers of marine sands, loess, sandstone and clay in around ten different configurations in his different parcels. Those differences, he noted, corresponded to the delimitation of Merfy's climats, and looking back to the village's pre-revolutionary history, Chartogne attributes that precision to the Benedictine monks who once farmed this region—harking back to a terroir-focused viticultural era when wine growing in Champagne had more in common with wine growing in Burgundy. Today, Alexandre Chartogne is trying to recapture that spirit.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWine Advocate\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/j72YcK85Spc\" title=\"A conversation with Alexandre Chartogne\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Alexandre Chartogne\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/AlexandreChartogne_480x480.png?v=1704062729\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" data-mce-style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA conversation with Alexandre Chartogne\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is from an article by champagne expert Jiles Halling that appeared in My Man in Champagne\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJune got off to a brilliant start when, on Saturday 1st, with two friends from the USA, I went to visit Alexandre Chartogne of Champagne Chartogne-Taillet in his family home in the village of Merfy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTo Find Gems You Need To Look In Different Places\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot for the first time I discovered a fantastic old home hidden discretely behind a huge wooden door giving directly onto the main street. I use the term ‘main street’ loosely because even though the main road through Merfy is called Grand Rue, it’s hardly a motorway; in fact it’s downright sleepy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s incredible what treasures you can find tucked away in the small villages. That applies equally to the champagnes as to the people and Alexandre Chartogne was no exception to the rule.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMerfy is not the first village that springs to mind when you think of champagne. In fact it’s a bit off the beaten track in an area called Le Massif Saint Thierry just North West of Reims, but its wines have been in demand since as long ago as the 12th century, perhaps because of the village’s south and south-east facing slopes that can soak up the sunshine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandre wasted no time in showing us into his newly converted den where he proudly brought out a leather bound book called the Registre des Taillets which is rather like a family diary and dates back to the early 1700s. The first entry reads: “I was born in February 1700…”, the words of Fiacre Taillet whose name is used for one of the cuvées produced by the family over 300 years later.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClearly Alexandre has done a lot of research not only on the family history, but also into the nature of the soil in Merfy. It’s a topic which he is obviously passionate about and it’s crucial to understanding the different champagnes in the Chartogne-Taillet range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut came the map of the village and the more detailed plan of the individual plots of vines and that’s when Alexandre took up pencil and paper himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEach plot has its own character\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandre is a young man of 29 years of age who has travelled quite a bit outside Champagne, speaks excellent English, and in the space of a few years has started making a name for himself by producing champagnes of real character due in large part to the fact that they almost all come from the vineyards of Merfy. One of the fascinating things about champagne and wine in general is the way in which they are all slightly different and have their own personality, but this doesn’t happen by accident; there’s always a very good reason why a champagne tastes the way it does and in the case of Chartogne-Taillet, the variation in soil is a determinant factor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChartogne-Taillet owns 14 hectares of vines the majority of which are in and around Merfy itself, so Chartogne-Taillet champagnes are a real reflection of the soil of the village. If you think this might be a limiting factor for Alexandre as a winemaker, think again. Merfy boasts a bewildering variety of different soils and subsoils to produce a complete spectrum of champagnes from all three main grape varieties plus a few areas of Arbanne, a little-known, little-used variety which is nevertheless, still permitted in Champagne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs we were served a glass of Sainte Anne, a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, Alexandre explained how different soil types produce different champagnes: the red sandy soil with a high iron content that you find in the plot called Chemins de Reims, gives a blanc de blancs champagne with an attractive note of aniseed and a distinctive warmth on the palate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUngrafted Vines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plot called Les Beaux Sens is doubly unusual. The soil is almost entirely sandy and produces Pinot Meunier with a pronounced mineral quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven more intriguing is the fact that these Pinot Meunier plants are extremely rare because they are ungrafted. The Phylloxera mite that devastated most of the European vineyards some 150 years ago is unable to move freely in sandy soil and so a few small pockets of vines remained unaffected by the blight. The majority of the Champagne vineyards were saved by grafting French vines onto American root stocks that were resistant to Phylloxera, but amazingly this little plot at Les Beaux Sens escaped and to this day the Pinot Meunier planted here are ungrafted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, in Les Alliées there’s a heavier clay soil with higher water retention that reduces the mineral element, but accentuates the fruitiness of the Meunier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so on and so forth, plot by plot: a treasure trove of discoveries explained by someone who is an amiable teacher and a great communicator.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrower Champagnes and Grandes Maisons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo my mind this is the beauty and fascination of champagne; not just the pleasure of meeting with and talking to these wonderful people, but the way many of them work with their land to give you, the drinker, a real insight into the countless nuances and subtleties of the Champagne region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the big difference between grower champagnes and big brands. The big brands cannot match the local knowledge and specialisation of their smaller cousins so they choose to make champagnes that give you a broad brush stroke of the entire Champagne region. It’s a strategy that has stood them and champagne in general in good stead, but I don’t think you can really know champagne unless you have discovered the ins and outs of grower champagnes. It requires a little more effort and patience, but to my mind it is well worth it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI could go on and on about Chartogne-Taillet for whom the goal is to allow what Nature provides to produce an array of champagnes each of which is unique and expressive of its origins. As Alexandre says \"These days what we eat and what we drink is becoming ever more standardised, but we are all different so we need different food and different wines\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSo, what (more) is special about Champagne Chartogne-Taillet?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one could call Chartogne-Taillet champagnes standardised: with the exception of Cuvée Sainte Anne, they are all vintages, that is to say that the grapes come from a single year’s harvest although Alexandre has chosen not to declare them as vintages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChartogne-Taillet uses only natural yeasts and ferments many of their cuvees in concrete, egg-shaped containers that facilitate the movement of the yeast and enhances the depth and complexity of the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey plough 6 hectares of their vines with horses and plan to increase that as soon as time and money allows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild grass is allowed to grow between the rows of vines and Alexandre measures the health of his vineyards by the type of grass that he finds growing there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach topic could be a blog pots or video in its own right, which gives me a lot of ideas for the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Chartogne-Taillet Vineyard\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Chartogne-TailletVineyardPloughing_f8943822-d62e-4bdf-a1cf-86110d91f0dd_1024x1024.png?v=1704065363\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaison de Champagne Chartogne-Taillet (pronounced 'shar-ton thai-yeh') comprises 11 hectares of vineyards in the village of Merfy, seven kilometres north of Reims. Merfy, one of a crescent of villages of the Massif de Saint-Thierry, is in the northernmost outpost of the Champagne region. The area has been planted with vines at least since the time of the Roman Empire. The Benedictine monks of the neighbouring Abbey of Saint-Thierry expanded the vineyards in the 7th century and carefully mapped out the different terroirs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinemaking in the family dates back to 1490 with Nicolas Taillet and then Fiacre Tailler in 1540. The Domaine itself dates back to 1920 but it was only as recently as 2006, when Alexandre Chartogne took over the reins from his father Pierre, that things really started to change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandre was fresh from time working with Anselme Selosse, widely acknowledged as one of the best winemakers in the Côte des Blancs and maybe even in all of Champagne. Anselme's focus is on getting the highest quality fruit for his champagnes, he believes in the relationship between healthy soils and the quality of the grapes and has always been a great advocate of organic farming and low yields. Alexandre's beliefs mirror Anselme's philosophies closely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlexandre believes that the transmission of terroir only comes through careful work in the vineyard. To this end, no chemicals, herbicides or insecticides are used, cultivation is only when required, sheep and chickens roam the vineyards and organic compost is used where necessary. All effort is focused on maximising life in the soil. Half of his parcels are plowed by horse \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eto avoid compacting the soil so that it is better aerated \u003c\/span\u003eand \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eand he plans to increase that as soon as time and money allow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMerfy boasts a bewildering variety of different soils and subsoils to produce a complete spectrum of champagnes from all three main grape varieties. Alexandre\u003c\/span\u003e has developed the style of the Maison towards precise Champagnes, thanks to extensive plot selections. In the cellar each parcel is vinified separately. Primary fermentation is wild, and mostly in second-hand barriques, although Alexandre has also used concrete eggs for some time. The second fermentation in the bottle is induced using yeasts selected from each specific parcel. Dosage has always been low, but like the majority of winemakers in Champagne, is in lower proportions each year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChartogne-Taillet makes outstanding champagne, fully the equal of much more pricey cuvées. \u003c\/span\u003eAlexandre Chartogne’s reputation as one of Champagne’s most thoughtful and ambitious growers shows through in his wines. He is one of Champagne’s brightest young talents – his pure, energetic wines have set a new regional standard. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Chartogne, it will be clear, is a thoughtful man, seriously committed to letting each of his various parcels express its own identity. Like the wines of his mentor, Anselme Selosse, these are very far from being fruit-driven wines despite their scale and power, for they're undeniably mineral and soil-driven. Since Chartogne is keeping back more and more wine, the quantities of his elusive single-vineyard bottlings are smaller and smaller, and these are not easy Champagnes to find. But happily, his largest cuvée, the tank-fermented Saint-Anne, is an excellent offering that remains great value.\"  \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWine Advocate\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Chartogne-Taillet_1024x1024.png?v=1703838044\" alt=\"Chartogne-Taillet\" data-mce-selected=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42763698602225,"sku":"","price":99.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/chartogne-taillet-cuvee-sainte-anne-base-2018-disgorged-jan-2021-nv_5bcd3bcd-cb6d-4862-b5be-45ec0d262146.jpg?v=1701664351"},{"product_id":"dom-perignon-2012","title":"Dom Pérignon 2012","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Krug is the king of champagne, Dom Perignon is the Queen.\"  James Halliday\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom Pérignon is named after a 17th century Benedictine monk who was Cellar Master at the Abbey of Hautvillers, near the town of Épernay. It is the top Champagne (prestige cuvée or tête de cuvée) produced by Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and was first released in 1937 with the 1921 vintage. Although owned by Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, Dom Pérignon is now considered a separate Champagne house. It is a vintage Champagne, a blend of approximately 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay that showcases both the character of the year and the character of Dom Pérignon. Dom Pérignon is aged in the cellars of Moët \u0026amp; Chandon for at least 8 years in bottle on lees before release. It is only produced in years where growing conditions are favourable: it is down to the Chef de Cave to decide if the vintage will be declared.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It's medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A DP that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle.\"  James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe nose is full and varied, mingling flowers with fruit, and the vegetal with the mineral. The bouquet is tactile, subtly enticing us along a trail of powdery white flowers and nectareous apricot, followed by the freshness of rhubarb and mint and the minerality of ash. Energy dominates on the palate. After a welcoming opening, the wine quickly becomes vibrant and then literally explodes with a surge of effervescence and tonicity. Focused by acidic and bitter notes, the finish brings a penetrating tautness marked by ginger, tobacco and toasted accents.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe unpredictable seasons of 2012, their force and generosity shaped an outstanding olfactory landscape imbued with remarkable variety. A year full of paradoxes for winemaking, 2012 gave birth to a great vintage, surmounting multiple challenges.\u003c\/span\u003e\" \u003cstrong\u003e Dom Pérignon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"What a magnificent bouquet for this Dom Pérignon 2012! Pastry, a hint of smoke and autolytic notes provide a compelling counterpart to eager yet elegant aromas of citrus (lime, tangerine and kumquat) joined by those of fresh fruit, herbs, liquorice, and menthol. There is even a refreshing note of ivy. The palate is tense, vibrant, and very fresh despite its impressive density, which meets its match with an unending finish. This 2012 incarnates the very essence of Dom Pérignon with such a concentrated degree of intensity, along with a capacity for ageing, that it is surely destined for a second life in a P2 edition.\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eYohan Castaing, Decanter - 98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The 2012 Dom Pérignon is a brilliant wine in the making and seems likely to ultimately be judged one of the greatest vintages here in the last quarter century. According to Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon, the wine is close to its ideal cépages of fifty percent each of chardonnay and pinot noir in 2012. The wine is quite a powerful vintage of Dom Pérignon, but with all of the customary elegance and structural chassis of the greatest vintages here and it remains a young wine, brimming with energy and superb depth. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a classic blend of lime, green apple, menthol, stony minerality, discreet botanical tones, gentle smokiness and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a great core, superb mineral drive and grip, utterly refined mousse and a long, zesty and beautifully balanced finish. I love how the perfect ripeness of the 2012 vintage is seamlessly interwoven here with a superb girdle of acidity, great minerality and excellent purity, which will end up producing a legendary vintage of this wine. It is certainly approachable out of the blocks, but I would opt to tuck bottles away for at least eight to ten more years before starting to drink the 2012, as there is so much left here to still unfold.\"\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e  John Gilman - 98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The 2012 Dom Pérignon is a dense, powerful wine. I am almost shocked by its vinous intensity and raw, unbridled power\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. The 2012 reminds me of the 2003, but with more finesse and not quite as pushed. Mildew, rain and frost were challenges and resulted in low yields, something that was further compounded by warm, dry weather that concentrated the fruit even more. Those qualities result in a dense Dom Pérignon endowed with real phenolic intensity. It is one of the most reticent young Doms I can remember tasting, I wouldn't even think of opening a bottle for at least a few years.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAntonio Galloni, Vinous Media – 97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Wonderful elegance and balance to this Dom Pérignon with cooked apple, lemon and hints of white pepper and salt. It's medium-bodied with really fine bubbles and balance. Spicy at the end. So wonderfully fresh, linear and long. Racy and elegant. A DP that invites to drink right now. All about finesse. Tension, too, with precise phenolics and bright acidity on the back palate. Subtle energy. Drinkable now, but will develop beautifully in the bottle\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e– 97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The 2012 Champagne is 51% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir and has 4 grams per liter dosage. Its style is finessed and elegant, revealing a soft, smoky perfume of fresh white flowers, pear, and fresh bread dough. The palate is focused and long, with a polished mousse, and offers notes of lime blossom, white peach, and chalky minerality as well as long perfume resonating on the finish.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com – 97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Some vintages are vine growers' vintages, but for the 2012, Dom Pérignon's chef de cave wore the blender's hat and had an amazing set of building blocks, especially on the Pinot Noir front: Aÿ, Verzenay, Bouzy and Hautvillers. Shiny lemon green colour. The abundantly toasty nose delivers instant 'wow' notes – so subtle yet at the same time full of character. Charred tones combine with sweet vanilla, coffee and cream notes. Since release, the toastiness has really built up, and finely so. At this stage, the fruitiness is left a little behind but is as pristine as ever, showing a perfectly ripe yet crunchy profile. The palate comes with soft charm and impressive intensity, managing to remain rather light and vibrant. This is smooth-textured and rich, with fascinatingly prickly bubbles that add tension to the wine. Dosage 5g\/l.\" \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Essi Avellan MW - 97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The 2012 Dom Pérignon has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with notes of Anjou pear, smoke, toasted nuts, freshly baked bread and crisp stone fruit. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's still tightly wound, its incipiently fleshy core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky grip, complemented by a classy pinpoint mousse. A touch drier and a touch less reductive than the 2008 out of the gates, these two vintages are clearly destined to be compared for some time to come; but at this early stage, my instinct is that the 2012 will have the edge in the long term\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWilliam Kelley, Wine Advocate – 96+ points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This eloquent Champagne has an enticing waft of Mandarin orange on the nose that continues on the palate, which is layered with flavors of crushed blackberry and cassis, toast, chopped almond, graphite and oyster shell. \u003c\/span\u003eA bright, finely-knit and harmonious version, with a lovely, raw silk-like mousse, and a lasting, expressive finish\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. Drink now through 2037.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAlison Napjus, Wine Spectator – 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Classic lemon-zest and tension nose that I associate with Dom Pérignon, but with extra weight and depth. And quite marked phenolics on the end which suggest this will have a remarkably long life. And, as Vincent Chaperon readily admitted, will definitely show up as a P2 star. Clean and neat and with light smokiness on the finish. Dom P always plays the reduction card. Hugely impressive persistence. Still a baby\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJancis Robinson MW – 18.5\/20 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom P1, P2, P3\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Domperignon_1024x1024.png?v=1701462384\" alt=\"Dom Pérignon\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDom Pérignon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDom Pérignon is the top Champagne (prestige cuvée or tête de cuvée) produced by Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and was first released in 1937 with the 1921 vintage. It is a vintage Champagne made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each year, the Chef de Cave reinvents the House style, creating a unique wine that is a perfect balance between the expression of Dom Pérignon and the expression of the vintage itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDom Pérignon is a blend of approximately 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. The grapes are sourced from many Grand Cru vineyards, the very best vineyards in Champagne. In addition, each blend always includes grapes from the original plot in the Abbey of Hautvillers, a Premier Cru vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine owes its complexity to the slow ripening of the grapes, which conserves freshness while revealing new aromas and new textures with the passing of time. These aromas, which develop in the wines as they are protected from oxygen during the aging process, guarantee exceptional cellaring potential and a characteristic minerality which is an aromatic signature of the House.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe three Plénitudes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Dom Pérignon goes through three different stages of development or Plénitudes as it is aged in the cellars of Moët \u0026amp; Chandon. Champagne undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle - this is what creates the fizz that once had Dom Pierre Pérignon enthusiastically exclaim \"Come, I am drinking stars!\" when he first tasted the sparkling wine that is now known as Dom Pérignon. The yeast performing this secondary fermentation turns into lees that remain in the bottle until it is disgorged. Then and only then is it fit to be tasted by Champagne lovers, and to be stored like any other bottle of fine wine for future enjoyment. However, what happens when a bottle is not disgorged? The lees participate in a mysterious evolution of the wine in the bottle, singular to each cuvée and carefully monitored by the Chef de Cave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom Pérignon has truly mastered the art of prolonged lees ageing. Dom Pérignon is blended with a 40 years’ time perspective in mind and maturation on lees is part of the blend. Every vintage must have the capacity to shine as Plénitude 2 and Plénitude 3, otherwise it will not declared. Each P2 and P3 is disgorged three years before being brought onto the market.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Each vintage of Dom Pérignon is disgorged and (re)released only when I consider it has reached a new Plénitude, a privileged period of time when Dom Pérignon attains its radiance. Its development comes in successive plateaux which define as many windows of expression I decided to call Plénitudes: the wine then tells us a story that is new and exciting enough to be worth sharing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany Dom Pérignon lovers like to compare the trajectories of a bottle of Dom Pérignon Vintage, stored at their place, side by side with a bottle of Dom Pérignon P2 or P3 that has been stored on its lees in our cellars in Epernay. The three Plénitudes side by side is the ultimate horizontal tasting of one and only vintage. Each wine - each Plénitude - will reveal a different facet of Dom Pérignon: P2 and P3, thanks to the extra time spent maturating on their lees under our careful attention, will grant you an experience ever closer to the Spirit of Dom Pérignon.\" \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de Cave, Richard Geoffroy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Dom Pérignon, the three Plénitudes\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/DomPerignonP1P2P3_1024x1024.jpg?v=1701598672\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eThe three Plénitudes of Dom Pérignon: P1, P2 \u0026amp; P3 (from left to right)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Plénitude (P1)\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom Pérignon Vintage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine is aged in the cellars of Moët \u0026amp; Chandon for at least 8 years in bottle on lees before it reaches its first stage of development or Plénitude (P1). The first Plénitude shows promise, completeness and harmony. Everything is in place. The Chef de Cave assesses the quality of the wine and decides if the vintage will be declared. If the vintage is declared, the wine is disgorged and released and is called Dom Pérignon Vintage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecond Plénitude (P2)\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eor\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom Pérignon P2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second stage of maturity or second Plenitude (P2), which was formerly called Oenotheque, is reached after at least 15 years of ageing in the cellars. It is more intense, precise and vibrant, energized by the transformation. A true metamorphosis: its universe has expanded. If the quality of the wine reaches the desired standard, it is disgorged and released as Dom Pérignon P2.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an interview with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de Cave, Vincent Chaperon, by Berry Bros \u0026amp; Rudd (bbr.com)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat was the rationale behind launching Plénitude 2?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThe idea behind Plénitude 2 has always been to share more about Dom Pérignon with our consumers. Quite simply, Plénitude 2 shares the arc of a wine’s life – its history. And that history does not stop at the vintage; our wines continue to become more intense, complex and streamlined with longer maturation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat happens in the bottle during this additional ageing time?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eWith this extra time, the inner activity in the bottle increases. The yeast transfers its energy to the wine – a mysterious transfer of life. After close to 15 years, expansion of energy reaches its peak, and Dom Pérignon rises to an apex of essential, radiant vitality in its state of Plénitude. Elevated to new heights, it unfurls across every dimension – wider, deeper, longer, more intense – and is gifted further with an extended longevity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow do you determine when Plénitude 2 is ready for release?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eIt’s never predetermined. We closely follow the evolution of each of our vintages during their maturation in the cellars. Every six months or so, we open several bottles of each vintage. As soon as we feel that the wine is entering its peak of energy and reaching its Plénitude 2, we prepare for its release. It’s the wine that decides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow does Plénitude 2 stand alongside other wines in the Dom Pérignon portfolio?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eI tend to say that Plénitude 2 is \"more\" Dom Pérignon, because the additional maturation time further enhances Dom Pérignon’s singularity. It’s Dom Pérignon \"higher and further\". Even if Dom Pérignon is \"one and indivisible\", Plénitude 2 carries for the whole the art of addressing time. Time is in the equation of Dom Pérignon, and Plénitude 2 tells us that maturation is a time of construction, a time of growth and expansion for the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThird Plénitude (P3) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eor\u003c\/em\u003e Dom Pérignon P3\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, the third stage of development or Plénitude (P3) is reached after at least twenty-five years of ageing in the cellars. At this venerable age, all the components are completely integrated and the wine has become more streamlined and complex than ever. If the third Plénitude reveals the heritage of Dom Pérignon, a living memory passed down through the generations of Chef de Cave, the wine is disgorged and released as Dom Pérignon P3.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/DomPerignon_sChefdeCaveRichardGeoffroy_1024x1024.png?v=1701491453\" alt=\"Richard Geoffroy, Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; float: none;\" data-mce-style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRichard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave 1990-2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor 28 years, from 1990 to the end of 2018, Richard Geoffroy was Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave. In that time as the creative guide of the Maison, he declared 15 vintages, the last being the majestic 2008 vintage. During that time he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pursuing Dom Pérignon’s aesthetic ideal and vision. He believed that to experience Dom Pérignon fully, to understand it, one also needed to experience all the vintages that were made but not declared - which meant, effectively, that only he could understand it.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of 2018, Richard Geoffroy passed the torch to his successor, Vincent Chaperon. Vincent had worked alongside Richard Geoffroy since he joined\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDom Pérignon in \u003c\/span\u003e2005. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen asked what he had learned from working alongside his\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eprotégé for 13 years, Richard Geoffroy replied: \"It’s very clear - his energy. Looking back, it’s very much the same energy I had when I came to Dom Pérignon in 1990. He’s given me a renewed energy. I’ve given him love, I’ve given him my energy, and he gives me that back. He’s allowed me to continue to grow, and to not become an old asshole. It’s the truth. It is important to recognize the risk of becoming an old asshole. That’s the worst! And the best way to do that is to learn from others. If you rest in your personal comfort zone, you’re dead. It’s the relationships you have in your inner circle that count the most. Vincent has considerable humanity, and to me that’s much more important than having technical skills. And that’s what the maison needs. We have incredible technicians. More than ever, with great and varied experience and expertise. But what we need is to be human, to not get cold or arrogant. We need to be warm, and that takes awareness and a lot of energy.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article by Essi Avellan MW published in 2015 in Flacons of Champagne magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChef de Cave Richard Geoffroy is not playing it safe with Dom Pérignon. There is a formidable legacy to guard for the region's first prestige cuvée that carries the name of Champagne's most mythical figure. But instead of securing it, it is reinvention and pushing the boundaries that recur in Richard Geoffroy's deeds. He is obsessed with progression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'If you are a defender, you are already a loser. To me the major pitfall of champagne is repetition, which is often done in the name of consistency', he states as we sit across each other at the ascetic and airy second floor tasting room at the abbey of Hautvillers, the ancient home of the monk Dom Pérignon. Exchanging over a flight of Dom Pérignons, I am rewarded with fireworks of his insightful and opinionated say.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Dom Pérignon's greatest asset is vision', Richard Geoffroy decides. It is easy agree with that, as vision is exactly what Geoffroy has demonstrated during his 25 years at the head of the house. Dom Pérignon has been a major driver of champagne, whose prestige and global presence benefit the entire region. Under Geoffroy's wing the Dom Pérignon brand has been separated from Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and its image has gradually been rejuvenated from classic to contemporary, even avant-garde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last 10 years have seen a notably more communicative Dom Pérignon. I remark to Geoffroy that the Dom Pérignon brand has become friendlier. And the same goes even with the wine with its increasingly welcoming, polished, and seamless character. Was this visioned? 'Dom Pérignon is all about pleasure and joy, emotions. I want it to embrace you', Geoffroy agrees. The multitude of research and development carried out at Moët \u0026amp; Chandon has benefited Dom Pérignon quality, too. A friend of a less technical way of talking about wine, Richard Geoffroy often sounds more like a poet than a winemaker: 'We pay a lot of attention to the texture and flow of the wine. I like to call it the Dom Pérignon glide, reminiscent of the surfer riding the perfect wave'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDriven, is the word that epitomises Richard Geoffroy, the man whose greatest fear in life is to dry out or wither. Thus he declares to enjoy the excitement of discovery and loves surprises. 'That is something I also want to include in a bottle of Dom Pérignon', he adds. Richard Geoffroy's boldness in making Dom Pérignon has resulted in increasing number of vintages produced, including the record-breaking five vintages in a row from 2002 to 2006. He is not shy to demonstrate a broader scope of vintage expressions: 'I feel I might be taking more risks than my predecessors did. For instance, there is no 1989 whereas I made 2003'. He seemingly thrives on challenges and is most proud of the wines of the demanding vintages: 'Out of all vintages I have made, I take the greatest pride in our 2003 wines, which was an unforeseen vintage characterised by extreme heat.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is also an element of surprise in his career path, as even if he comes from a family of vine-growers in Champagne, winemaking was not his first choice. 'I love designing, building and creating things. I could've been an architect. At the end I chose medicine and passed my doctorate in 1982', He remembers. However, soon after his studies, Geoffroy felt a strong attraction back to his roots, to winemaking: 'I was already 31 when I went to study oenology in Reims.' Since then Richard Geoffroy's path has been highly successful and advancement rapid at LVMH. As a lot of creating and construction takes place when crafting champagne of this quality and quantity level, no doubt he is also drawing to his work from his other life interests: 'Dom Pérignon is the most blended vintage champagne. The more wines we combine, the more robust, detailed and precise the wine can be. Champagne making is an options game, and I love options', he confirms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to being able to work with the outstanding raw material and great technological resources, Richard Geoffroy has the most glamorous job in Champagne. He travels extensively to share Dom Pérignon with the jet set of the wine and gastronomic world as well as celebrities one can only dream to meet. In a world like his it would be easy to lose track of ordinary life. In his shoes many would have built an attitude of arrogance, but Geoffroy's feet stay firmly on the ground. 'I am privileged to get to meet so many exiting people. Dialogue and sharing are the greatest gifts. If my work would be just technical, I would be long gone.' Even if he still greatly enjoys his adventures abroad, the recent years have made him more concerned and proud of his roots: 'I have done the full circle. Best place in the world is home and I enjoy most spending time with my own people; family, friends and colleagues.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeoffroy has an unusually reflective and mature perspective on life. Highly respected by his colleagues, he is known as a great mentor who will give opportunities to develop. 'I think knowledge and skill are best given forward. If you share them with others, the whole project will grow. I am not on an ego trip. I really believe generosity pays off, and that's what wine is all about', he reasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf, as he says, making and talking about Dom Pérignon is all about delivering happiness, Richard Geoffroy should be the happiest man on earth. He denies living on a continuum of happiness but defines: 'To me happiness is harmony with myself and others. Harmony is a cardinal thing in life, but so it is also in wine. Maybe it is something I have learned from Dom Pérignon?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/DomPerignon_sChefdeCaveVincentChaperon_f4102e3d-84fd-4486-92a3-ac5080d95cee_1024x1024.png?v=1701561445\" alt=\"Dom Pérignon’s Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVincent Chaperon, Chef de Cave 2019-? \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVincent Chaperon joined Moët \u0026amp; Chandon in 1999 and developed a strong attachment to the region. He decided to stay and deepen his knowledge of the vineyards and local winemaking techniques, forging a personal aesthetic of champagne. He joined Dom Pérignon in 2005 and worked alongside Richard Geoffroy for 13 years until he officially took over the role of Chef de Cave on January 1, 2019. The pair collaborated on 13 harvests and four vintages: 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2008.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe culmination of their collaboration was the Dom Pérignon Vintage 2008. It was the fruit of a rich dialogue between two passionate winemakers, blending the audacious intuition of Vincent Chaperon and the sophisticated and comprehensive knowledge of Richard Geoffroy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen asked how he felt about leading a team responsible for the future of a well-established brand, Vincent Chaperon replied: \"I’ve been part of the team for many years. It’s a long process of learning and sharing. You project, and imagine, that one day it may be your responsibility. When you accept to be a successor it’s a long process of transmission. It started when I arrived in Champagne, but more conscientiously I started seven or eight years ago. You start to project and ask yourself - one day, perhaps I will be in charge? And then you realize you’ve got a long way to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first you are completely afraid, you never understand that it’s a very long process to become free and to understand that the end game is not to be the face of the brand, it’s to understand who you are and to be able to give something with all you have. If you are able to understand the brand, perfectly understand what it is, understand its heritage, understand where on the journey you and the brand are. To understand where the two can meet, what will be the point of encounter between you and the brand because it moves in two directions. You have to really grasp what the brand is and accompany it while you add what you can along the way. You have to understand that you are not here just to be the guardian, you have to accept putting in your energy, making it live, and align, because the brand and the team need you to go on breathing it, giving it energy and modernity, projecting it in the future.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe following text is taken from an interview by Charlie Geoghegan with Vincent Chaperon in 2021 that was published in Berry Bros \u0026amp; Rudd (bbr.com)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCould you describe your role as Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eIt’s extremely diverse, involving not only everything related to the vine, winemaking and maturation in the cellars, but also communicating about our Champagne, creating and participating in experiences and travelling and meeting our consumers around the world. But if there’s one word that sums up these elements, it’s “creation”. That’s the prism through which all my actions and decisions ultimately pass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCan you talk us through a typical day in your life?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThere’s never a 'typical' day. It varies according to many different cycles, which intersect throughout the year. There are the cycles of nature and the seasons, which impact the vines and the harvest. There are cycles in elaborating our wines, including fermentation and assemblage (blending). There are even cycles of communication, when we launch new Dom Pérignon creations and share them around the world. These cycles are constantly changing and reshuffling my daily schedule throughout the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of the greatest challenges facing the industry is climate change. What actions are you taking?\u003cbr\u003eW\u003c\/em\u003ee’re acting in two ways: reinventing ourselves every year; and changing our vine-growing and winemaking in the mid- and long-term.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery year, we’re facing new climatic conditions that impact the vine growth and the grapes’ quality. We’ve been experiencing earlier harvests in August, warmer temperatures, heatwaves and drought. To respond to such situations, we’ve been adapting our grapes selection, and our picking strategies. We’ve been experimenting with new processes such as oxygen management on juices. We’ve been adjusting others, like decreasing the dosage. Finally, we’ve been improving our monitoring by developing data acquisition which helps to make the right decisions at the right moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re also changing our vine-growing and winemaking to continue minimising our impact on the climate. More than ever, we promote biodiversity in the vineyard. We consider the vine not as a monoculture, but as a complex and complete system whose balance we have a responsibility to preserve. We continue to reduce our energy impact at the source. This includes everything from investing in electric tractors to experimenting with ways to recover the carbon emitted during our fermentation process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHow does Dom Pérignon differ from other prestige cuvées?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eToday more than ever, Dom Pérignon is a luxury house. And one of our defining characteristics is that it bears the name of Champagne’s founding father. As such, Dom Pérignon represents all that heritage and history, and has a responsibility – as Dom Pierre Pérignon did – to lead Champagne to new horizons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Abbey of Hautvillers, Dom Pérignon’s historic birthplace\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/DomPerignon_shistoricbirthplace-AbbeyofHautvillersis_1024x1024.png?v=1701461856\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Abbey of Hautvillers, Dom Pérignon’s historic birthplace \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDom Pérignon is named after a 17th century Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715), who was appointed procurator at the Abbey of Hautvillers, near the town of Épernay, in 1668. The Abbey of Hautvillers is located on a beautiful site in Champagne surrounded by an amphitheatre of vineyard-covered hills.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFather Pérignon was said to have invented sparkling wine during his tenure as Cellar Master, but this is a myth as sparkling wine was already in production in France, made by bottling wine while it was still fermenting. However, it is believed that he pioneered viticultural and winemaking methods that transformed the wines of Champagne. He introduced pruning which reduced yields and improved concentration, blended grapes to improve the quality of the wine, handled the grapes more carefully to avoid breaking the skins and exposing the juice to the air, and advocated multiple gentle pressings to minimise skin contact and extraction of tannins. He also imported stronger bottles from England to reduce the risk of the bottles exploding - a major issue at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to developing revolutionary techniques for viticulture and winemaking, Father Pérignon modernized the abbey, restored its vineyard, and set about to make 'the best wine in the world'. He brought the abbey to light and his wine became one of the most sought-after wines in France and was served at Versailles and enjoyed by none other than Louis XIV.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1921 Moët \u0026amp; Chandon\u003c\/span\u003e bottled its first ever\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecuvée de prestige \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ealongside its regular vintage release. In 1937 they \u003c\/span\u003epurchased \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe brand name 'Dom Pérignon' and released their 2021 prestige cuvée under that name. S\u003c\/span\u003eome 15 years ago, Dom Pérignon was 'separated' from Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and branded as a Champagne house in its own right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eToday Dom Pérignon is part of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) empire owned by France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault. It has been the Champagne of choice for numerous celebrities and royalty over the years. Memorably it was chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in 1981.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42868833976561,"sku":"","price":495.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/dom-perignon-2012.jpg?v=1703635259"},{"product_id":"moet-chandon-brut-imperial-nv-gift-box","title":"Moët \u0026 Chandon Brut Impérial NV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon Brut Impérial was first released in 1869 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte, diminutive lover of bubbly. It is by far the biggest selling Champagne in the world - around 20 million bottles are produced each year, which is about 7% of Champagne’s total production. Brut Impérial is a blend of over 200 crus, of which 20% to 30% are reserve wines. It is an assemblage of Pinot Noir (30 to 40%), Pinot Meunier (30 to 40%) and Chardonnay (20 to 30%). Aged for a minimum of 2 years on lees. The dosage is 7g\/l.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A harmonious Champagne, with well-knit, mouthwatering acidity, offering hints of bread dough and spun honey that enrich flavors of black cherry, salted almond and preserved lemon. Not a powerhouse, but this shows good focus while remaining fine and creamy in texture. The minerally finish shows hints of smoke and oyster shell.\"  Wine Spectator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Golden straw yellow with green highlights. A sparkling bouquet featuring the vibrant intensity of green apple and citrus fruit, the freshness of mineral nuances and white flowers and the elegance of blond notes (brioche, cereal, fresh nuts). A generous palate combining sumptuousness and subtlety, displaying the delicious sumptuousness of white-fleshed fruits (pear, peach, apple), the alluring caress of fine bubbles and the soft vivacity of citrus fruit and nuances of gooseberry.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A harmonious Champagne, with well-knit, mouthwatering acidity, offering hints of bread dough and spun honey that enrich flavors of black cherry, salted almond and preserved lemon. Not a powerhouse, but this shows good focus while remaining fine and creamy in texture. The minerally finish shows hints of smoke and oyster shell. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Drink now. Tasted 2023.\"  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAlison Napjus, Wine Spectator - 92 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This is showing aromas of apricots, grapefruit, pears and short crust. Some walnuts, too. Medium-bodied, with soft bubbles and tasty nut and pie crust notes at the end. Blend of pinot noir, meunier and chardonnay. 24 months on the lees. Tasted from a magnum bottle. Drink now. Tasted July 2023.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 91 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This Champagne gets better and better. It has a fine dryness with a crisp apple and citrus character. That goes with the touches of maturity that give the wine fine balance. Drink now. Tasted Jan 2023.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Voss, Wine Enthusiast – 90 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eImpérial NV\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg data-mce-fragment=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Moet_ChandonBrutImperial_1024x1024.png?v=1703389604\" alt=\"Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Brut Impérial NV\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Moet_ChandonBrutImperial_1024x1024.png?v=1703389604\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Moët Imperial is a little bit of everything. That’s the beauty of that wine. There are so many elements involved. Maybe where a Vintage is for a certain special moment, for me Imperial is for \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eevery\u003c\/em\u003e moment. What I like about Imperial is the idea of spontaneity. Not being obliged to wait for a special occasion. Not being obliged to have the right temperature and the right glass, but just 'Let’s have a glass now.' And you know that if you have a glass of Imperial, you’ll be very happy with your glass. It’s the kind of champagne that always seduces and delights, whatever the circumstances.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach year, we face the awesome challenge of re-creating the Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Impérial with the same recognisable taste that is beloved around the world, despite having to use grapes that, at each harvest, are never the same in aroma or ripeness. To achieve both consistency and quality, we accompany the process of winemaking at every stage, from the blending of still wines made from three grape varieties within months of the harvest, through the careful elaboration and the bottling of the same Champagne style at Moët \u0026amp; Chandon year after year.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBenoît Gouez, Chef de Cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrut Impérial was first released in 1869 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte, diminutive lover of bubbly and close personal friend of Jean-Rémy Moët, the gregarious vintner and grandson of house founder Claude Moët.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn its day, Impérial was something of a revolution. Less than one percent of champagne produced was labelled 'brut' (and even the brut of 1869 was much sweeter than today’s dry version). But the relative lightness of Brut Impérial - its elegance above all - has endured. Moët Impérial today is nothing short of an icon, its gold foil–wrapped bottle a universal symbol of celebration. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt is by far the biggest selling Champagne in the world - around 20 million bottles are produced each year, which is about 7% of Champagne’s total production.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBrut Impérial is a blend of over 200 crus, of which 20% to 30% are reserve wines specially selected to enhance its maturity, complexity and constancy. The assemblage reflects the diversity and complementarity of the three grape varietals used; the full body of Pinot Noir (30 to 40%), the suppleness of Pinot Meunier (30 to 40%) and the finesse of Chardonnay (20 to 30%). The wine is aged for a minimum of 2 years on lees and sits for 6 months after disgorgement before release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eImpérial has become fresher and less sweet over time.  When Benoît Gouez arrived in 1998 the dosage was 13g\/l. \"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWe trialled it and found we preferred 11g\/l,\" he says, \"But we kept 13g\/l for customers.\" The dosage was subsequently reduced to 9g\/l and today sits at 7g\/l.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is taken from an article by Sam Kessler that appeared in The Oracle Time, April 2017. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrinking champagne is easy, so much so that I find myself doing so without meaning to on all too many occasions. Making it on the other hand is far, far less so.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost educated epicureans are well aware that each bottle of champagne is a blend of different wines from different vineyards around the geographical region. Many even know the three main grapes that entails: Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. Very few however really appreciate what that means for the winemakers themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the case of the world’s largest champagne house, Moet \u0026amp; Chandon, head winemaker Benoît Gouez has an unenviable task. We were fortunate enough to have a private tasting with Benoît and… well… we won’t be starting a champagne house any time soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor of all are the sheer number of wines that get used at Moet \u0026amp; Chandon. Three different grape varieties yes, but the sheer number of vineyards these come from is staggering. Each vineyard has its own unique terroir, the landscape that gives the grapes their characteristics. This in turn means that, even if each uses the same grapes and same quality of grape, the wines coming from each will be completely different.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven then, that’s never the case. Champagne has no uniform climate. It’s myriad different landscapes and terroir variances, not to mention weather that makes Britain seem consistent, all mean that every harvest is completely different.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor some wines this wouldn’t be a problem; indeed for some champagnes it’s not. Variance is what makes a vintage a vintage, a snapshot of the region on a given year. But imagine what that means for something like Moet Imperial.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImperial is the signature of the house, the wine that defines its character to the world at large. In essence it’s the truest expression of what Moet \u0026amp; Chandon is. The key to that is consistency. Each It’s Benoît’s job to ensure that consistency in the face of all adversity. Fortunately for him, champagne has learned over the years that when one grape suffers, another flourishes. Where one year the Chardonnay gets destroyed by late frosts, the Pinot Noir is better than ever.year it must be the same, over and over without fail, regardless of the quality of grapes that year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trick that Benoît has mastered is how to balance the good with the bad. The same volume needs to be made after all, and the same elements have to go into it to create that consistent profile of Moet Imperial. Where one component wine is lacking in body, another needs to be positively overweight. Where on lacks acidity, another needs to be razor-sharp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the course of the harvest and following winemaking period Benoît will sample hundreds and thousands of wine, equating to about 30 a day. He and his team of tasters will work through everything, pinpointing where each is strongest in order to better understand how they can fit into the Imperial puzzle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo far so tricky, right? What we’ve yet to factor in however is the reserves. Reserves are the good wines that Benoît keeps each year, holding them back for a particular blend or in case of emergency. These can be a lifeline when the grapes of a particular harvest are lacking, adding some much-needed oomph to the blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are not however something Moet can afford to go overboard with. There’s no guarantee that a wine of that quality will be replenished the next year. If it’s earmarked for a certain blend and there’s not enough to go around, disaster strikes. Reserves may be an invaluable resource, but they add yet another layer of complexity to an already-labyrinthine proposition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what’s Benoît’s secret to keeping the consistency of Imperial? Quite simply there isn’t one.  There’s no shortcut, no easy solution. Each year is fraught with next-to-impossible decisions, decisions that only experience can account for. Nobody knows Moet like Benoît, neither the profile of their wines nor the contents of their cellars. In short, there’s nobody alive that could do what he – and indeed the Chef de Cave of any champagne maison – can do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo next time you buy a bottle of Imperial, next time someone questions the quality of a non-vintage over a vintage, just explain to them clearly and eloquently just how much work went into creating that beautifully balanced, invariably consistent bottle of wine. If you can’t… well, we’re probably in the same boat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Chef de Cave Benoît Gouez\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/DomPerignon_sChefdeCaveVincentChaperon_cf9fb087-be9f-46b6-8092-75b1cf09bdaa_1024x1024.png?v=1701554653\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBenoît Gouez joined Moët \u0026amp; Chandon in 1998 as a winemaker and became the Chef de Cave in 2005 at only 35 years old. He's been in this role for 18 years, a mere blip in the House history dating back to 1743. Today he’s responsible for producing around 30 million bottles of champagne annually.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBenoît did not grow up in the Champagne region in northeast France. He was raised in Saint-Lô in neighbouring Normandy, \"nowhere near a vineyard.\" He adds, \"I don’t view this as a weakness, but rather as an opportunity, because I don’t have the weight of tradition on my shoulders.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHis early interest was in science - he entered college in Montepellier in 1990, at the age of 20, to study agronomy. It was here he met his mentor, Denis Boubals, the professor of viticulture, and switched to viticulture and winemaking.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHis professional life began not in France but in the New World world. An internship at a winery in California’s Anderson Valley was followed by stints at wineries in Margaret River in Australia and Cloudy Bay in New Zealand.\u003c\/span\u003e These experiences made him, \"r\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eealise that sometimes in France we can be fixated with regulations and the idea of 'vin de terroir', meaning the wine should express the place from where it originates. In the new world, the approach was different. It was more open to technical possibilities.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1998, at the age of 28,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBenoît \u003c\/span\u003earrived in Champagne and was appointed as assistant winemaker at \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon. He had been attracted by the combination of technical skill and sensitivity at the Mison, the values of pleasure and sharing wine, and the opportunities to travel. Seven years later he was appointed Chef de Cave. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I’ve learnt a lot from Richard Geoffroy, the cellar master of Dom Pérignon. He taught me that, beyond technique, it’s the winemaker’s personal sensibility that gives a champagne its soul.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBenoît, the most challenging aspect of the job is the production of the signature of the house, Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Impérial. \"Each year, we face the awesome challenge of re-creating the Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Impérial with the same recognisable taste that is beloved around the world, despite having to use grapes that, at each harvest, are never the same in aroma or ripeness. To achieve both consistency and quality, we accompany the process of winemaking at every stage, from the blending of still wines made from three grape varieties within months of the harvest, through the careful elaboration and the bottling of the same Champagne style at Moët \u0026amp; Chandon year after year.\"\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs for the biggest challenge facing the Champagne industry, he is in no doubt that it is adapting to climate change. \"If things continue to evolve as fast as they have in the past 30 years, the discussion of the style of champagne will be pointless; the impact on our lives will be much more important. And second, if you think about what makes champagne unique, it is not in our varieties, or the way we prune, or the way we press, or ferment, or blend, or age. That can be done exactly the same way anywhere in the world. The only thing that makes champagne unique is what is here and nowhere else: the soil and the climate. When you understand that, you start asking what can I do to preserve the local environment? In the past 10 years we have cut by half the use of water. We work a lot on energy. In the vineyards we don’t use insecticides at all. We have a plan to not use herbicides at all within the next three years. Our identity is in our terroir, so we have to respect it, we have to preserve it, we have to even improve it.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Moët \u0026amp; Chandon Vineyards\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Moet_ChandonVineyards_1024x1024.png?v=1701553368\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow to pronounce\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMoët \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Moët family makes it very clear that the 't' must be pronounced. It’s pronounced 'mo-wet' or 'moe-ette'. The Moët family is originally from the Netherlands and although they moved to France in the 1400s, they still tenaciously hold onto the Dutch pronunciation of their name. Quite brave in a country that would drop the consonant and pronounce the name 'Moe-ay'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon's history began in 1743 when Claude Moët, a wine merchant in Épernay, founded the Maison Moët. Moët developed over the next few generations as a brand and a business, but it was his grandson Jean-Rémy Moët, who helped create and globalize the Moët identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJean-Rémy Moët was a visionary who built his namesake brand into one of the largest winemakers in the Champagne region. He built the framework for Moët \u0026amp; Chandon’s standing today, including the very chateau housing its headquarters in the heart of Épernay in the Champagne region, and the brand’s vast cellars, which run for some 28 kilometres underneath the city centre and out toward the miles of vineyards. The brand is Jean-Rémy’s legacy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJean-Rémy became a close personal friend of Napoleon Bonaparte and their friendship had a huge influence on the fortunes of Moët. The two met in 1782 when Napolean was at military school in Brienne-le-Château and the younger Moët visited the school soliciting orders for the family business. The word 'Champagne' was music to Napoleon’s ears and the two boys became fast friends. After Napolean became Emperor he made a point of visiting the Moët house to stock up on cases of Champagne before every military campaign. Napoleon famously said, \"Champagne! In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it.\" After one terrible defeat, the Russian army plundered the cellars of Champagne and Jean-Rémy watched 600,000 bottles of Moët emptied by Russian soldiers camped on the premises. He didn't panic but instead recalled an old French proverb: 'Qui a bu, boira' or 'He who has drunk once will drink again.' Moët told all his friends, \"All of those soldiers who are ruining me today will make my fortune tomorrow. I’m letting them drink all they want. They will be hooked for life and become my best salesmen when they go back to their own country.\" He was right; the Moët business soared in those following years and among the clients clamoring for a taste were some of Napoleon’s famous adversaries, including the First Duke of Wellington and Frederick William III of Prussia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1832, nine years before Jean-Rémy died, his son \u003c\/span\u003eVictor Moët took over the business and was joined by brother-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon. In 1833, the company was renamed Moët et Chandon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe concept of vintage champagne or millésimé was introduced in 1840. Two years later in 1842,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e99 years after the foundation of the House, \u003c\/span\u003eMoët marketed its first vintage. The current release Grand Vintage 2015 is the 76th vintage in the history of the House.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBrut Impérial, the House's signature wine, was first released in 1869 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte. Today it is by far the biggest selling Champagne in the world - around 20 million bottles are produced each year, which is about 7% of Champagne’s total production.\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1921, Moët \u0026amp; Chandon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e bottled its first ever \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecuvée de prestige \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ealongside its regular vintage release. In 1937 they \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003epurchased \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe brand name 'Dom Pérignon' and released their 2021 prestige cuvée under that name. S\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eome 15 years ago, Dom Pérignon was 'separated' from Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and branded as a Champagne house in its own right.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon featured in the first recorded instance of anyone popping open a bottle of champagne and spraying it on others. Dan Turney was handed a jeroboam of the House's champagne in 1967 after he won the 24-hour Le Mans race and immediately proceeded to open the bottle and spray its contents on himself and the crowd, starting the now-timeless tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoet \u0026amp; Chandon merged with Hennessy Cognac in 1971 and then with \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eluxury fashion brand \u003c\/span\u003eLouis Vuitton in 1987, to become  Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy (LVMH). LVMH is the world's largest and most successful purveyor of luxury goods, with an €80 billion revenue in 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Moet \u0026amp; Chandon\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Moet_Chandon_1024x1024.png?v=1703551752\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon own 1,190 hectares of calcareous vineyards in the Champane region, 50% of which are classified as Grand Cru and 25% as Premier Cru. This makes them the largest vineyard owner in Champagne. However, the grapes from their estate vineyards only supply around 25% of their production needs, forcing them to purchase the balance from growers outside of these lands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon source their fruit from all the sub-regions of Champagne, namely Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar. In all, they have access to approximately 200 of the 323 crus in the region, including 100% of the 17 Grand Crus and 70% of the 44 Premiers Crus. This wide-range of vineyards allows the optimum selection of grapes, enabling them to maintain the constancy of Moët Impérial and the originality of Grand Vintage. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wines \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eBrut Impérial NV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eBrut Impérial was first released in 1869 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte, diminutive lover of bubbly and close personal friend of Jean-Rémy Moët, grandson of house founder Claude Moët. It is by far the biggest selling Champagne in the world - around 20 million bottles are produced each year, which is about 7% of Champagne’s total production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrut Impérial is a blend of over 200 crus, of which 20% to 30% are reserve wines. It is an assemblage of Pinot Noir (30 to 40%), Pinot Meunier (30 to 40%) and Chardonnay (20 to 30%). The dosage is 7g\/l. Aged for a minimum of 2 years on lees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRosé Impérial NV\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRosé Impérial, first released in 1996, is now the market leader of Rosé in Champagne. It is an assemblage of around 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay. Depending on the year, 20% to 30% of the blend are reserve wines specially selected to enhance its intensity, subtlety and constancy. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eGrand Vintage \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMoët \u0026amp; Chandon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e marketed its first vintage champagne in 1842. The current release Grand Vintage 2015 is the 76th vintage in the history of the House.\u003c\/span\u003e Grand Vintage is a blend of the traditional varieties; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Vintage wines are selected as the most interesting wines from the harvest, without thinking about house style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe varietal blend varies year to year depending on vintage conditions as the base wines reflect the best qualities of the year’s harvest. For example, in 1999 Pinot Noir was the dominant varietal\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(38%), in 2002 Chardonnay \u003c\/span\u003e(51%), while in in 2003 it was Pinot Meunier (43%).  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eDom Pérignon\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eDom Pérignon is named after a 17th century Benedictine monk who was Cellar Master at the Abbey of Hautvillers, near the town of Épernay. A\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e vintage Champagne, it is a blend of approximately 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay that showcases both the character of the year and the character of Dom Pérignon. \u003c\/span\u003eIt is the top Champagne (prestige cuvée or tête de cuvée) produced by Moët \u0026amp; Chandon and was first released in 1937 with the 1921 vintage. Although owned by Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, Dom Pérignon is now branded as a Champagne house in its own right.* It is aged in the cellars of Moët \u0026amp; Chandon for at least 8 years in bottle on lees before release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e* It is listed here under Dom Pérignon, not Moët \u0026amp; Chandon.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42896865657073,"sku":"","price":64.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/moet_chandon-brut-imperial-NVIN.jpg?v=1704250756"},{"product_id":"pol-roger-blanc-de-blancs-2008-gift-box","title":"Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2008 (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best.\"  Sir Winston Churchill\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChampagne Pol Roger has been producing exceptional Champagne for over 170 years. The house remains small, family-owned and fiercely independent with an enviable reputation for quality. \u003c\/span\u003eThe exquisite Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs is made exclusively from Chardonnay selected from five Grands Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs; Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger. Produced in limited quantities, this Cuvée is aged for 7 years in the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePol Roger cellars in Épernay \u003c\/span\u003ebefore being released onto the market. The \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBlanc de Blancs\u003c\/span\u003e was created by Christian de Billy in the 1950s to answer the demand for aperitif Champagne and \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewas their prestige cuvée until 1984 when the first Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill was released. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Great elegance and finesse already show on the perfectly brilliant and aromatic nose of the Pol Roger's 2008 Blanc de Blancs Brut. The palate is dense and citric, as if limes and lemons are squeezed on a chalky rock. The purity, power and intensity is as remarkable, as is the finesse and persistence of the bubbles, the mousse on the palate and the long, persistent finish. The finish is lovely aromatic and intense, but also clear, fresh, firm and absolutely stimulating. This is a great Blanc de Blancs.\"  Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce harvested, the grapes are immediately and delicately pressed. The must undergoes two débourbages (settlings of the must), one at the press house immediately after pressing and the second, a débourbage à froid, in stainless steel tanks at 6°C over a 24 hour period in the winery. A slow cool fermentation with the temperature kept under 18°C takes place in stainless steel with each variety and each village kept separate until the final blending. All of the wines go through full malolactic fermentation. After tasting, blending and bottling, the secondary fermentation and maturation takes place in bottle in the deepest Pol Roger cellars in Épernay These cellars are located 33 metres below street level and have a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, said to be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees colder than most other Champagne cellars. This slows down the speed of the second fermentation, requiring a longer aging on the lees resulting in a very fine and persistent mousse and great finesse and longevity. Lastly, each bottle is given a traditional rémuage, a rarity in Champagne nowadays, which means that all the bottles are riddled by hand before disgorging and dosage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The 2008 Blanc de Blancs displays a pale yellow-gold colour with delicate green glints and a remarkable effervescence in the glass. On the nose, the first notes are of pink grapefruit coupled with almond, imparting a delightful freshness and delicacy to the wine, which progressively yield to aromas of white flowers and apricots. On the palate, the texture is invigoratingly fresh and zesty, typical of this outstanding vintage. The wine is harmoniously well-balanced and full-bodied. Initially flavours of green apple and citrus fruit prevail, however, these give way to creamy aromas of butter and meringue, contributing to an overall impression of outstanding complexity. The finish is characterised by an enchanting vivacity and long-lasting aromas.\" \u003cstrong\u003e Pol Roger\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This 100% Cote des Blancs Grand Cru simply demands its inclusion, notwithstanding my tasting note finishing 'just a baby'. Bright green-straw hue, it has exquisite freshness and balance, the bouquet filled by scents of white flowers, the palate with pink grapefruit in a glittering necklace of acidity. Will fill you with joy tonight, wonderment five years hence. I've bought my share\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points and Top 100 Wines of 2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Great elegance and finesse already show on the perfectly brilliant and aromatic nose of the Pol Roger's 2008 Blanc de Blancs Brut, displaying white and stewed apples with fine citrus flavors and discreet chalky aromas. The palate is dense and citric, as if limes and lemons are squeezed on a chalky rock. The purity, power and intensity is as remarkable, as is the finesse and persistence of the bubbles, the mousse on the palate and the long, persistent finish. Dosed with seven grams per liter, this extraordinary Blanc de Blanc Brut tastes drier than the Réserve Brut, but reveals a perfect ripeness of yellow fruits. The finish is lovely aromatic and intense, but also clear, fresh, firm and absolutely stimulating. This is a great Blanc de Blancs\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e from the Grand Cru villages of Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStephan Reinhardt, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWine Advocate – 95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eButtered toast and roasted nuts to sniff: a superb blanc de blancs with lovely mellow maturity, the finish beautifully balanced and more-ish. Great drinking now.\u003c\/span\u003e”\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eHuon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points (Tasted May 2023)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This is heart-stoppingly good, which makes the decision all the more difficult as to when to drink it. Guzzle it all up now or drink it slowly over the next 15 years? If you are going to drink it now, you'll find a fabulous fusion of almonds, white flowers, cream, hay, brioche and lemon sherbet. It's also superbly balanced, bright, racy and dazzlingly long. Of course, that's down to the Pol style, savoir faire and fruit selection. The grapes come from some of the Cote des Blancs top Grands including Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger. Ultimately, it is still a baby. So my advice would be to wait a while until it really hits its stride.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDecanter – 94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRipe, pure and attractive chardonnay delivers a nose scented with peaches, lemons, cream, sweet pastry and subtly nutty notes. This is holding very fresh and still primary thanks to the stunning 2008 vintage. The palate's packed with flavor and a really excellent depth of white peach and lemon curd character. The acidity rules the finish and holds it long. Drink now and easily through to 2025; this is a long-term Champagne!\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAwards\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2015 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHubert de Billy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Hubert de Billy, fifth generation owner of Pol Roger\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-HubertdeBilly_1024x1024.png?v=1705966080\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-HubertdeBilly_1024x1024.png?v=1705966080\"\u003eHubert de Billy, the distinguished fifth-generation owner of Champagne Pol Roger and the great-great-grandson of Pol Roger, joined the business in 1988.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I am the fifth generation owner of Pol Roger and I have been surrounded by champagne since the age of 16. My destiny to work in the Champagne industry was confirmed at birth! My mother, Chantal Budin, was born at 11 Avenue de Champagne in Epernay and my father, Christian de Billy, was born at 48 Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. My maternal grandfather was the General Manager of Perrier-Jouët and had been Mayor of Epernay during the Second World War, whilst my father was the great-grandson of Monsieur Pol Roger and grandson of Maurice Pol-Roger, the mayor of Epernay during the First World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing the only son in my generation, it was difficult to turn my back on the business. My career started as a salesman liaising with our English and French distributors and I was later sent to the wineries of California to gain work experience. After that I attended university before taking over the business side of the operation. The champagne business can be very nice, very glamorous. But there are two distinct aspects to my job: the production side and the glitzy events we stage to promote the product. I might spend one day with a thousand people, including royalty, and the next will be a cosy media lunch. I also spend a lot of time at the vineyard talking to our growers. It is a duty but I enjoy it very much,\" says de Billy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA very important part of de Billy's role is to decide, together with Chef de Cave Damien Cambres, on the potential blending of the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecuvées. They are then presented to the rest of the family members for final approval.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following article by Jamie Goode appeared in the Wine Anorak in 2020.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFamily-owned Pol Roger is one of the most highly regarded Champagne houses. They aren't huge, and a high proportion of their grape intake comes from their own vineyards: their 93 hectares of vines is sufficient for half their needs. We visited with the charismatic and ever-so-slightly flamboyant Hubert de Billy on a day in early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house of Pol Roger was founded in 1849. Pol Roger was the son of a solicitor in Aÿ. He was living next to Bollinger, and he decided to produce Champagne at home to sell to other producers. 'Over time, some of his friends said to him your wine is very good and you should sell it under your own name,' says De Billy. 'Aÿ was already overbooked – the streets are very small and it has always been locked between the vineyard and the canal. At the end of the 19th century, before the arrival of the train, Aÿ was the same size as Épernay. 'So Pol Roger moved to Épernay, where it is now. These days, Pol Roger has 54 employees. A century ago there were 300 employees, making much less wine. We are quite large with 54,' he adds. 'We do the riddling by hand. So we could save 5 people, but this is not our philosophy.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'The philosophy of winemaking is the grape first,' says de Billy. 'All the technical choices are to focus on the taste of the grapes, so we have no barrels. Everything that can add a foreign taste is forbidden.' The winery is almost entirely stainless steel, but they still have a few concrete vats which they use for the reserve wines. 'We think that concrete is very difficult to use for the fermentation, but for storage it is perfect.' They last bought a barrel in 1975, and from 2012 onwards all fermentation has been in stainless steel. 'When it comes to vat size, small is not always beautiful,' says De Billy. He thinks 10 000-15 000 litres is the best size, but they do have to use some smaller vats of 2, 3, 5 and 7000 litres.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger winemaking facilities\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerwinemakingfacilities_1024x1024.png?v=1705968327\"\u003eOne feature of their winemaking that is unusual is a second decanting process. After pressing in the press house (these are scattered around the vineyards) the juice is settled to let all the gunk fall to the bottom, then removed from these juice lees. This juice goes to the winery. 'We do a second decanting at 7 C in vats at the winery because it has a better cooling system,' says De Billy. The alcoholic fermentation is completed, and then all the wines go through malolactic fermentation. 'One philosophy of Pol Roger is that everything regarding the wine has to be slow,' says De Billy. 'We have slow fermentation, because we cool it down, we take more time because we do the second decanting, we do longer ageing than most of our colleagues. Everything that is to do with the wine has to be slow.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDe Billy says that choosing the reserve wine is one of the key tasks just after vintage. 'When I started in the company in 1988, I did the mistake that all the newcomers make,' he shared. 'I said, this wine is not so good, so let's use it as a reserve. When you start you think that you need to put the best wine in your cuvée, and what you don't use you keep. My uncle told me that it should be the opposite. Because the reserve is used to make the next wine better. Bad wine from the beginning will never give good wine. Most of the reserve wine is selected at the beginning.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'First I do Churchill and Blanc de Blancs. They are the two smallest productions, and they are the two iconic wines of Pol Roger. Then I select the reserve wine. Then I do vintage and non-vintage at the end.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'We classify the wines. We taste during one month, beginning at the start of December. We have 3 oenologues in the company. We taste all the vats together. Some vats go to the distillery. After, we decide the vats which are obviously for the non-vintage. By mid January we have tasted everything. I make a decision and give the proposal to the rest of the family. It is like the election of the Pope: we don't leave the room until a decision is made. We start at 9 am and don't leave until we've decided.' \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil the 1970s Pol didn't source any wine from the Aube. 'This was for taste reasons, not quality (I'm going to be politically correct),' says De Billy. 'Nowadays, we'd like to have some. We have found 3 hectares in Les Riceys and we are very happy, because now the quality of Aube is much higher, and it was a taste that was missing in our palate. It's a taste we'd like to increase a little bit.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most unusual features about Pol Roger is that they do all – or almost all – the riddling by hand. They have 7 km of cellars, with the lowest at 35 m below the surface where this takes place. 'We are the last to do mostly all our riddling by hand,' says De Billy. 'I must be honest. We are good French and so we take an August holiday so there is a small portion, roughly 5% which is machine riddled, so that we can be sure that in September we can start again. 'They do triage in halfs, bottles, magnums and jeroboams. 'It takes a month to riddle by hand,' he says. 'There are four riddlers and each move 50,000 bottles a day. Each riddler has roughly 200,000 bottles under his own authority. The riddler is the only worker who is his own boss. We are asking him for a perfect wine a month after. We don't ask him how he does it. The sediment moves according to the atmospheric pressure, so in Spring and Fall it is a bit more difficult than in winter and summer. 'Normally people fill Jeroboams afterwards, but Pol Roger riddle quite a lot of them: around 2000. 'It is starting to be quite popular,' says De Billy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Cork is still a problem,' he says. 'The problem is the Mytik is not perfect, and real cork is not perfect. I am going to meet Monsieur Amorim in July.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBilly says that aperitif champagne is a new thing. 'Before the war, champagne was only before the meal and dessert. When people started to move to aperitif champagne, my father didn't want to change things in the cellars, so he changed the cuvee very slowly and created the Blanc de Blancs to answer this new demand. It was their prestige cuvée before they started Winston Churchill. They do only recent disgorgement. Ageing is minimum of six years, and if they can wait another year they do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey don't put information on the bottle about the blend, the bottling date and the disgorgement date and dosage. 'Our philosophy is don't give details to someone who is not able to understand,' says De Billy, pointing out that the information is on the case, but not the bottle. If the customer asks the question, the retailer can give the answer. They don't hide anything. 'We want to be able to give the details to someone who is able to understand it.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's a family resemblance to these wines. They are quite pure and have a nice linear character, but there's generosity too. The non-vintage is four years on lees, and all the NVs are one-third of each of the main grape varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe lost bottles\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ATreasureTroveofLong-BuriedBottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705977769\" alt=\"Pol Roger - A Treasure Trove of Long-Buried Bottles\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ATreasureTroveofLong-BuriedBottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705977769\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParts of the following text are taken from an article by Laura Seal that appeared in Decanter in February 2018 (Photo: Michaël Boudot)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePol Roger has excavated some long-lost treasure from the wreckage of a cellar that collapsed in 1900 and buried more than a million bottles of Champagne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost 118 years ago, on 23 February 1900, disaster struck Pol Roger’s cellars in Épernay. Following a period of extreme cold and damp, vast stretches of wall suddenly collapsed during the night, demolishing adjoining buildings and burying 1.5 million bottles of wine, along with 500 casks. There was a sinkhole some 15 metres across and reaching down 20 metres into the earth. Three storeys of Pol Roger’s cellars had collapsed in on themselves. Damage was so extensive that the ground above the cellars caved in, causing the street level to fall by four metres. Great fissures formed in the nearby roads, rue Henri le Large and rue Godart-Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn account from \u003cem\u003eLe Vigneron Champenois\u003c\/em\u003e tells how Pol Roger’s son Maurice awoke at 2am to 'a dull rumble similar to the sound of thunder. When the workers arrived a few hours later, the disaster was complete.' Maurice and his brother Georges had hoped they could attempt to salvage the buried wines by tunnelling into the rubble. But after a similar cave-in occurred a month later at the nearby property of Godart-Roger, the plans were abandoned, along with the ruined cellars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward almost 118 years exactly and Pol Roger is rebuilding a new packaging facility on the same plot of land. When the collapsed cellars were being industrially excavated, outgoing chef de cave Dominique Petit and his successor, Damien Cambres, happened to notice a large void at the site filled with mountains of broken glass and what appeared to be one intact bottle. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRumours that some bottles had survived the cellar collapse had become the thing of Épernay legend, although few believed that anything could actually have survived the impact of thousands of tons of chalk and clay.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the next 2 days, 19 more surviving bottles of bubbly - corked between 1887 and 1898 - came to light. '\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe wines are clear, the levels are correct and the corks are depressed,' said the Champagne House. '\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThese bottles are still on their lees and will have to be hand riddled and disgorged before being tasted. A\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e select few will have the privilege of discovering just how it compares to Champagnes of similar age, which have been carefully curated in the Pol Roger cellars.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOver the next 12 months the operation to salvage more unbroken bottles started and was stopped by rising water levels and further collapse, but close to 100 bottles were successfully removed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ChefdeCaveDamienCamberswiththefirstbottlefound_1024x1024.png?v=1705981460\" alt=\"Chef de Cave Damien Cambers with the first bottle found\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" data-mce-style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de Cave Damien Cambers with the first bottle found (Photo: Michaël Boudot) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Tasting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe text below is taken from an article by Peter Dean that appeared in The Buyer in October 2019 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many special tastings in the world of wine and many special bottles – some of them with plenty of bottle age. But the tasting that took place three days ago in Epernay was in the realm of ‘I was there’. 119 years after its cellars collapsed Champagne Pol Roger opened the first two intact bottles it had managed to retrieve from the rubble of the 1900 catastrophe. Peter Dean was there to witness the preparation, painstaking disgorgement and taste the two wines, one most likely from 1897, the second from 1895 – the first vintage that was bought by Winston Churchill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was always the possibility that, sealed hermetically in chalk for 118 years, the Champagne would not only be drinkable but actually very good. Or perhaps the bottle’s opening would be like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the power contained within would escape centuries of confinement to destroy the expectant onlookers?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe opening of the bottles\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward to three days ago – the afternoon of Oct 9th 2019 and the moment of truth had arrived. I had been invited as one of five journalists to travel from London to Epernay to witness the opening of, and taste, the first of the two Champagnes retrieved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no special significance to the date except that it was after the 2019 harvest had been completed and at a time when there was a ‘changing of the guard’ in the cellar – Dominic Petit leaving as chef de caves and Damien Cambres finally taking over – a nice baton pass from the old regime to the new. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter being shown where the calamity had happened and seeing all the bottles that have been retrieved, six were selected by Cambres and taken up to the disgorging room where Francis, an employee blessed with a spectacular mullet and a gift of opening almost any bottle set about his work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInverting the first bottle against an angle poise light, Francis first started removing with pliers the red wax that the estate had covered the closure with immediately after the bottles were pulled from the rubble. There was a staple clip and a crumbly end of cork that took 10 minutes of careful manipulation with a Durand to slowly ease out. The rest of the cork looked like it had 'become one' with the glass, so impacted and hard was it to remove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was like a sommelier’s worst nightmare and a wine nerd’s wet dream – the Jefferson bottles, this time though, for real; priceless, historic bottle, cork that is half earth, half stone. To make matters worse a bunch of hacks and snappers surrounding the man recording every tiny move.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCambres and Pol Roger’s MD Laurent d’Harcourt look on, giving very little away. The first part of the cork that had crumbled out was passed from palm to palm and sniffed – it smelt of wine and very good wine at that, like a piece of old madeira cake retrieved from the back of a larder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetritus collected at Francis’s feet then a little spurt of liquid, as he managed to remove all the dead yeast from the bottle before pouring a measure of light amber liquid into a tasting glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCambres sniffed, swirled and tasted. Still no flicker of emotion. This guy’s a poker natural.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the words we all wanted to hear…. \"C’est bon\" and the faintest flicker of a smile. OK now I am getting really excited – this stuff is going to be drinkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA temporary cork closure was inserted into the now-righted bottle and then Francis began on the second.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottle no.2 had no clip and, after another painstaking 10 minutes, an almost intact cork, far longer, was removed from the bottle. The cork is significant because not only did it smell even better than the first but the length of it and the absence of a clip leads Cambres to the belief that this is a bottle that has been disgorged, dating it from the 1895 harvest and bottle no.1 from 1897 (not disgorged).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo both bottles were Pol Roger Champagne made by Monsieur Pol Roger himself, with the 1895 having the added significance of being the first vintage that Winston Churchill bought, starting a relationship that carried on for the rest of his life and which, to a large extent, changed the direction of the house after that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe moment of truth – to tertiary and beyond\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo bottles in hand, Cambres then led us through the maze of cold cellars to ground level and the tasting room where we were joined by Hubert de Billy, Pol Roger’s great great grandson who confessed that the bottles’ discovery had taken away just that little bit of romance. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s not a question of sadness, it’s a nice story and I am proud and pleased but now it’s a fact and before it was a bit of a dream.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithout further ado Bottle No. 1 was poured, then bottle no.2. Both liquids were light auburn, the first with a little bit of a haze, the second with microscopic particles in suspension, like a drop of peach juice had been added.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the nose bottle No.1 had strong Fino notes. Over the course of ten minutes this changed rapidly and with a good deal of complexity – as though the years were catching up with it – nut shells, burnt sugar, polish, caramel, chestnuts on the fire. It was like a very old Madeira. On the palate the acidity was still there, there were pixilated flavours of old windfalls, tarte tatin, liquorice. The flavours were rich and deep. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottle No. 2 was instantly more ‘friendly’ and blow me if that wasn’t the tiniest whisper of fizz disappearing on my tongue. Just the faintest hint which disappeared quickly like a sepia image fading in bright sunlight. The nose was sweeter and had less solera, was more subtle and had an attractive note of meringue kept a little too long in the oven. There were aromas that reminded me of a very, very old Corton. The palate was extraordinary – although there was apparent signs of dosage, the acidity was still amazingly high, there was a fine texture, flavours of old strawberries on the turn, macerated fruit you retrieve from the rumtopf, then a power on the finish and a hit of alcohol that reddened the cheeks. Wow! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth wines had real purity, not a hint of a flaw, and quite unbelievably were a pleasure to drink. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course these are not the only old bottles in the eight kilometres of Pol Roger cellars – the ones that did not cave in – they have recently opened a 1892 and earlier this month tasted two bottles of 1914 that were auctioned five years ago in aid of the Imperial War Museum. But the two bottles we tasted are the wines that 'came back from the dead', the survivors, the wines that no one was supposed to drink but did. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bottles that were only dreamed about but became a fact. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s hard not to get emotional about engaging with something with such history and tells such a remarkable story but that’s the beauty of wine with age – tasted blind it would maybe have been a different experience but knowing what it was you were experiencing made the event truly remarkable and something that will never fade from memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-Familyphotowiththesalvagedbottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705983349\" alt=\"Pol Roger - Family photo with the salvaged bottles\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-Familyphotowiththesalvagedbottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705983349\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHubert de Billy, Dominique Petit, Laurent d’Harcourt, Christian de Billy and Damien (left to right) Photo: Michaël Boudot  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger_1024x1024.jpg?v=1705523198\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger_1024x1024.jpg?v=1705523198\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House of Pol Roger is one of the oldest family run enterprises in Champagne. It was founded in 1849 by 18-year-old Pol Roger, the son of a solicitor living in Aÿ, a village famous for its vineyards lying at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. It was here he made his first sale of wine and formed the company under the single name of Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1851, the family moved to Épernay, where it is now. Initially the company supplied champagne to other large houses like Perrier Jouët and Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, but by 1855 Pol Roger had acquired his own vineyards and decided to produce sparkling wine under his own label. He decided to focus on Brut Champagne since this was the kind the British preferred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Pol Roger died in 1899 at the age of 68, his two sons Maurice and Georges, who \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ehad worked alongside him since the age of 18, took over the reins. \u003c\/span\u003eThree months later cat\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eastrophe struck when three storeys of Pol Roger’s cellars collapsed in on themselves burying 500 casks of wine and over one and a half million bottles of Champagne - the loss of the better part of three vintages. Other Houses in Champagne rallied around and saved Pol Roger from almost certain financial collapse. Maurice and Georges then changed their surnames from Roger to Pol-Roger to honor their father and to signify a new beginning and started rebuilding the business. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1927\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Maurice's son, Jacques, joined the firm heralding the arrival of the third generation. The connection between the House and Winston Churchill started when Odette Pol-Roger, Jacques's wife, met Churchill at an official lunch at the British Embassy in Paris in 1945. Famous for her beauty, grace and vitality, Odette, who had taken over the firm as unofficial head in the 1940s while still active in the French Resistance, managed to charm Churchill from the beginning. The pair became friends and Churchill’s passion for Pol Roger champagne only solidified as his friendship with Odette grew stronger over the years. After their meeting, Odette regularly sent Churchill a case of his favorite cuvée, the Vintage 1928. When this year ran out, he drank the 1934 until his death in 1965. The House estimates that Churchill consumed a staggering 42,000 bottles of Pol Roger during his lifetime. Odette, who died in 2000 at the age of 89, was the grande dame of the Pol-Roger champagne family and remains the most widely recognised ambassador of the firm to date. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGeorges Pol-Roger passed away in 1950 and Maurice in 1959. The third and fourth generations of the family began to run the company, with Jacques (and Odette) at the helm assisted by Christian de Billy, \u003c\/span\u003eMaurice's grandson and great-grandson of Pol Roger, who joined the company in 1953 as Export Director. Christian Pol-Roger, also a great-grandson of Pol Roger, arrived in 1963 to strengthen this collegial management and became\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e an ambassador for the brand for over 40 years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristian de Billy, who became chief executive officer in 1977, worked tirelessly to preserve the family character, reputation and independence of the business. He not only secured the independence of the house by significantly increasing the size of the family-owned vineyard, but convinced of the need both to refresh the image of the Pol Roger brand and to diversify the offering, he launched the Rosé Vintage cuvée in 1961, the Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée in 1965 and the Sir Winston Churchill cuvée in 1985. Christian de Billy passed away at the age of 93 in 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHubert de Billy, Christian's son and the first member of the fifth generation, joined the business in 1988 as Sales Manager for France and now heads the company, taking over from Cristian de Billy and Christian Pol Roger in 2013. The first member of the sixth generation of the family, Bastien Collard de Billy, joined the business in 2020 as General Secretary and Export Manager.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1997, Patrice Noyelle was appointed President of the Board of Directors, the first person outside the founding family to join the management team in the 160-odd year history of the House. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eToday, Pol Roger is still owned by its founding family who sit on the company’s Board of Directors. The company is currently headed by Hubert de Billy, together with Chairman of the Board Patrice Noyelle and Laurent d’Harcourt who succeeded Noyelle as President of the Board in 2013.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Winery and Cellars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe winery and cellars are located \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eon and under the celebrated Avenue de Champagne in the heart of  Épernay. The production facility, which was opened in January 1901, was badly damaged by German bombing raids in 1918 and was restored to its original design after the war.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe cellars run for 7km underground and are on three levels, the deepest known as the 'cave de prise de mousse' at 33m below street level. As the name suggests, this is where the wine undergoes its secondary fermentation in bottle. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThese cellars have a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, said to be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees colder than most other Champagne cellars. This slows down the speed of the second fermentation, requiring a longer aging on the lees resulting in a very fine and persistent mousse and great finesse and longevity. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOne of the most unusual features about Pol Roger is that they do all – or almost all – the riddling by hand. \"We are the last to do mostly all our riddling by hand,\" says Hubert De Billy. \"There are four riddlers and each move 50,000 bottles a day. Each riddler has roughly 200,000 bottles under his own authority.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"The cellars at Pol Roger\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerthecellars_1024x1024.png?v=1706591505\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 2001 to 2011 the winery and cellars underwent a complete renovation at the behest of \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePatrice Noyelle who was the President of the Board of Directors. New stainless-steel vats were installed and from 2012 all fermentation has been in stainless steel. \"The philosophy of winemaking is the grape first,\" says Hubert de Billy. \"All the technical choices are to focus on the taste of the grapes, so we have no barrels. Everything that can add a foreign taste is forbidden.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this renovation, Pol Roger installed a higher number of smaller tanks (the tiniest contains around 25 hectolitres of wine) to be able to produce in isolation more diverse components of the final blend. \"It gives us more possibility and helps make our wines more complex,\" says \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLaurent \u003c\/span\u003ed’Harcourt. \"As with painting, the more colours you have the more complex wine you can make. It gives us more precision in our winemaking.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA huge expansion project to house a high-tech production facility was completed in 2023 and \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewill officially be opened in April 2024 as part of Pol Roger’s 175th birthday celebrations. The 4 level building\u003c\/span\u003e covering 18,000 square metres and costing £50 million had been on the agenda for ten years, was approved by the shareholders in 2019 and began construction in 2020. The building, which rests on the footprint of the historic site of the original cellars (which disastrously collapsed in 1900), allows Pol Roger to modernize and extend its production facilities - disgorgement, packaging, shipment and wine and dry goods storage - all under the one roof while keeping the facilities in the centre of Épernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe text below is taken from an article by Sarah Neish published in The Drinks Business, October 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampagne producer Pol Roger gave the drinks business a sneak peek of its high-tech production facility that has been three years and £50 million in the making.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s almost up and running! We’re just moving everything across now,\" Pol Roger’s managing director Laurent d’Harcourt tells db, his excitement palpable as he throws open the door to a new building, the construction of which has been at the top of the agenda at Pol’s HQ on the Avenue de Champagne for the last three years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving surpassed the 1.5 million annual bottle sales mark, Pol Roger was in need of more storage, and a tech upgrade to facilitate a slicker, speedier operation to match its sleek bottle designs and elegant cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Pol already squirrelling away a more extensive number of back vintages in its cellar than many other Champagne houses, space was at a premium, despite its 10km of winding underground tunnels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind Pol Roger’s commitment to keeping older vintages lies a passion for demonstrating that Champagnes can be aged for considerably longer than the five-year timeframe in which we are usually encouraged to drink our fizz. d’Harcourt is able to pluck a 1911 bottle out of the cellar and yet quips: \"We are a new Champagne house. We have only been here for about 174 years…\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn fact Pol Roger’s 175th birthday falls next year, and as part of its celebrations, the maison will be officially launching the new production site to the trade, with a presentation due to take place in April.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"We started thinking about it almost 10 years ago,\" says d’Harcourt of the building project. \"We got the green light from our shareholders in 2019 and began construction in 2020. Then almost immediately everything was shut down because of Covid and we were left with four cranes in place…\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisgorgement, packaging and labelling will all take place at the new facility, aided by a a \"multi-million pound\" robotic machine made by German company Schubert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottles of Pol Roger NV glide smoothly along on a conveyor belt, while a smart camera snaps an image of each and every bottle in order to gauge the positioning of the neck foil. A mechanical ‘hand’ then deftly rotates each bottle… 1cm to the right, 2cm to the left… to ensure that when a second grabber picks up the wine and places it gently into a 3-bottle wooden case, the Pol Roger logo faces upwards in every instance. It’s the Rolls Royce of wine packing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Pol exporting 85% of its total production, the house wants to guarantee that whether someone is opening a case of Pol Roger in London or Hong Kong, they will be getting the same first tantalising glimpse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Even non-vintage has to look smart\" says James Simpson, managing director, Pol Roger Portfolio, as he watches the bottles being efficiently packed like a father proudly watching his kids take laps of the pool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Pol Roger NV is the flagship of the house. If it’s not consistent you lose your customers, your admirers,\" adds d’Harcourt, emphasising the attention to detail for every expression that leaves the facility. From 2024, all wines will be shipped from the new building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA labelling room reminiscent of a cigar lounge houses a library archive of every front label ever sported by a Pol Roger bottle. Magnums continue to be hand-labelled on-site by members of the team, though a clever new piece of kit allows the heavy bottles to be suctioned up from the floor and deposited on a table for the person in question, saving them the exertion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the 2023 Champagne harvest having the heaviest bunches of grape on record, the additional space could not have come at a better time for Pol Roger. The only year when perhaps the harvest was larger was 1970 when, according to d’Harcourt, \"we had to store some of our wines in big water reserves because the harvest was so huge…\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the extra storage that the new building allows, d’Harcourt is nonetheless keen to stress that Pol Roger does not plan to grow \"too much\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In the next 10 years we will see some growth but the Champagne region is selling what it is producing so there is no more availability to source from friends or neighbours.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSustainability has been built into the blueprint of the new Pol Roger building from the get-go. A system enables rain water to be collected from the roof to irrigate the freshly landscaped gardens, and the construction \"will be run on biomass energy in the future,\" says d’Harcourt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A project like this is not something you can repeat. So it is an investment for the next 30-40 years. The shareholders have given us the green light to invest, and we are doing so in pursuit of excellence,\" he says. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger Vineyard\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerVineyard2_86c80d0b-a0e3-49bb-bc12-c802253bfc04_1024x1024.png?v=1706943393\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerVineyard2_86c80d0b-a0e3-49bb-bc12-c802253bfc04_1024x1024.png?v=1706943393\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House owns around 100 hectares of vineyards, mostly centred around Èpernay, including Grand Crus Cremant, Chouilly and Avize on the Côtes de Blancs and Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy on the Montagne de Reims. The vineyards are all family managed and provide about half of the grapes Pol Roger requires.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to its own vineyards, the House has worked tirelessly to source the best grapes from up to 150 growers to provide the balance of grapes required for its annual production of 1.7 million bottles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenerally Pinot Noir dominant, the collection of wines from the Non-Vintage Cuvèes through to the stellar Cuvèe Sir Winston Churchill show consistency of house style and a pedigree that is the envy of many other grand marques.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef des Caves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ChefdesCavespng_600x600.png?v=1705973348\" alt=\"Pol Roger - Chef des Caves Dominique Petit and Dominique Petit\" style=\"margin-right: 50px; margin-bottom: 30px; float: left;\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 50px; margin-bottom: 30px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominique Petit (at rear in photo) was appointed Chef de Cave in 1999 with a wealth of experience behind him, having worked for Krug for over 20 years. This experience and craftsmanship brought a controlled sense of power and concentration to the cuvées at Pol Roger, while still maintaining the supreme elegance and harmony for which Pol Roger is famous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePetit believes that great Champagne is all about the fruit, the quality of which Pol Roger can control as they own enough vineyards to supply some 50% of the fruit required for annual production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCareful attention in the vineyard is matched by meticulous care in the winery and cellars. Since Petit joined Pol Roger, more than 9 million Euros has been invested in upgrading the winemaking facilities and since 2011 they have fully moved to stainless steel fermentation and ageing. In the cellars, four 'remuageurs' hand riddle an astonishing 50,000 to 60,000 bottles per day in Pol Roger’s vast network of chalk cellars underneath rue de Champagne in Epernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominique Petit retired in March 2018 and passed the baton to 43 year-old Damien Cambres (in front in photo). \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42896882598129,"sku":"","price":275.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Pol-Roger-Blanc-de-Blancs-2008_4eb05310-e8c4-4f2d-979e-e74dacf677aa.jpg?v=1698020894"},{"product_id":"pol-roger-brut-reserve-nv-gift-box","title":"Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 of 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best.\"  Sir Winston Churchill\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pinot Noir from some of the best crus of the Montagne de Reims brings structure, body and power, the Pinot Meunier from several crus from the Vallée de la Marne and from the Epernay area brings freshness, roundness and fruitiness, and the Chardonnay from some of the best crus of the Côte des Blancs and from Epernay adds aromatic complexity, finesse, elegance and lightness. The wine is aged for 4 years in \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePol Roger cellars \u003c\/span\u003ebefore being disgorged and released onto the market. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"One of my favourite champagne houses. This entry point has a flowery bouquet, terrific mouthfeel thanks to a hint of honey, and Meyer lemon cleansing the finish and aftertaste.\" - James Halliday\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce harvested, the grapes are immediately and delicately pressed. The must undergoes two débourbages (settlings of the must), one at the press house immediately after pressing and the second, a débourbage à froid, in stainless steel tanks at 6°C over a 24 hour period in the winery. A slow cool fermentation with the temperature kept under 18°C takes place in stainless steel with each variety and each village kept separate until the final blending. All of the wines go through full malolactic fermentation. After tasting, blending and bottling, the secondary fermentation and maturation takes place in bottle in the deepest Pol Roger cellars in Épernay These cellars are located 33 metres below street level and have a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, said to be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees colder than most other Champagne cellars. This slows down the speed of the second fermentation, requiring a longer aging on the lees resulting in a very fine and persistent mousse and great finesse and longevity. Lastly, each bottle is given a traditional rémuage, a rarity in Champagne nowadays, which means that all the bottles are riddled by hand before disgorging and dosage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Pol Roger Brut Réserve displays a beautiful golden straw coloured hue, as well as abundant and fine bubbles. With a powerful and attractive nose, it first delivers aromas of fruit (pear, mango ...) and then releases light flavours of honeysuckle and white jasmine, lingering on vanilla and brioche notes. Behind a frank and dynamic attack, the wine encompasses a nice harmony and a pleasant freshness, whilst preserving some structure. On the palate, flavours of cooked fruit (quince jelly, apricot jam) happily mingle with fragrances of beeswax and acacia honey. The long-lasting aromas, composed of both fruity (candied orange peel, tangerine...) and spicy notes (cardamom, anis) are outstanding. All the know-how of our firm is revealed in its ability to reproduce each year a blend which is consistent in style and quality.\"  \u003cstrong\u003ePol Roger\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"One of my favourite champagne houses. This entry point has one-third each of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay from 30 crus, 25% reserve wines, spending 4 years on tirage. It has a flowery bouquet, terrific mouthfeel thanks to a hint of honey, and Meyer lemon cleansing the finish and aftertaste\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e. Tasted Nov 2021.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points and 2020 Top 100 Wines\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Richly biscuity on the nose, with steamed rice, fresh pear and citrus blossom complexity. Creamy mousse dissolves into red apple peel, lemon and stone fruits, with a depth of honeyed biscuits. The Reserve NV from Pol Roger is a blend of base wines from at least three vintages. With 6 months of post-disgorgement ageing, the wine is ready to enjoy now.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eDecanter - 93 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The current release of Pol Roger's NV Brut Réserve is quite dramatic, bursting with aromas of mandarin oil, honeycomb, elderflower, fresh bread and musky peach. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's generous and textural, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and a pillowy mousse. Tasted April 2021.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWilliam Kelley, Wine Advocate - 92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A layered and complex Champagne with pie crust, lemon peel, dried apple, pineapple tart and subtle spice notes. Sleek bubbles. Creamy and delicious.\"\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 92 points\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This is the nonvintage cuvée from this producer. It is in a rich style, with a high proportion of Pinot Noir, very much the house style. This bottling is fresh and hinting at maturity. Drink now.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eRoger Voss, Wine Enthusiast – 92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAwards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 Wines 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHubert de Billy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-HubertdeBilly_1024x1024.png?v=1705966080\" alt=\"Hubert de Billy, fifth generation owner of Pol Roger\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-HubertdeBilly_1024x1024.png?v=1705966080\"\u003eHubert de Billy, the distinguished fifth-generation owner of Champagne Pol Roger and the great-great-grandson of Pol Roger, joined the business in 1988.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I am the fifth generation owner of Pol Roger and I have been surrounded by champagne since the age of 16. My destiny to work in the Champagne industry was confirmed at birth! My mother, Chantal Budin, was born at 11 Avenue de Champagne in Epernay and my father, Christian de Billy, was born at 48 Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. My maternal grandfather was the General Manager of Perrier-Jouët and had been Mayor of Epernay during the Second World War, whilst my father was the great-grandson of Monsieur Pol Roger and grandson of Maurice Pol-Roger, the mayor of Epernay during the First World War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing the only son in my generation, it was difficult to turn my back on the business. My career started as a salesman liaising with our English and French distributors and I was later sent to the wineries of California to gain work experience. After that I attended university before taking over the business side of the operation. The champagne business can be very nice, very glamorous. But there are two distinct aspects to my job: the production side and the glitzy events we stage to promote the product. I might spend one day with a thousand people, including royalty, and the next will be a cosy media lunch. I also spend a lot of time at the vineyard talking to our growers. It is a duty but I enjoy it very much,\" says de Billy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA very important part of de Billy's role is to decide, together with Chef de Cave Damien Cambres, on the potential blending of the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecuvées. They are then presented to the rest of the family members for final approval.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following article by Jamie Goode appeared in the Wine Anorak in 2020.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFamily-owned Pol Roger is one of the most highly regarded Champagne houses. They aren't huge, and a high proportion of their grape intake comes from their own vineyards: their 93 hectares of vines is sufficient for half their needs. We visited with the charismatic and ever-so-slightly flamboyant Hubert de Billy on a day in early March.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house of Pol Roger was founded in 1849. Pol Roger was the son of a solicitor in Aÿ. He was living next to Bollinger, and he decided to produce Champagne at home to sell to other producers. 'Over time, some of his friends said to him your wine is very good and you should sell it under your own name,' says De Billy. 'Aÿ was already overbooked – the streets are very small and it has always been locked between the vineyard and the canal. At the end of the 19th century, before the arrival of the train, Aÿ was the same size as Épernay. 'So Pol Roger moved to Épernay, where it is now. These days, Pol Roger has 54 employees. A century ago there were 300 employees, making much less wine. We are quite large with 54,' he adds. 'We do the riddling by hand. So we could save 5 people, but this is not our philosophy.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'The philosophy of winemaking is the grape first,' says de Billy. 'All the technical choices are to focus on the taste of the grapes, so we have no barrels. Everything that can add a foreign taste is forbidden.' The winery is almost entirely stainless steel, but they still have a few concrete vats which they use for the reserve wines. 'We think that concrete is very difficult to use for the fermentation, but for storage it is perfect.' They last bought a barrel in 1975, and from 2012 onwards all fermentation has been in stainless steel. 'When it comes to vat size, small is not always beautiful,' says De Billy. He thinks 10 000-15 000 litres is the best size, but they do have to use some smaller vats of 2, 3, 5 and 7000 litres.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerwinemakingfacilities_1024x1024.png?v=1705968327\" alt=\"Pol Roger winemaking facilities\"\u003eOne feature of their winemaking that is unusual is a second decanting process. After pressing in the press house (these are scattered around the vineyards) the juice is settled to let all the gunk fall to the bottom, then removed from these juice lees. This juice goes to the winery. 'We do a second decanting at 7 C in vats at the winery because it has a better cooling system,' says De Billy. The alcoholic fermentation is completed, and then all the wines go through malolactic fermentation. 'One philosophy of Pol Roger is that everything regarding the wine has to be slow,' says De Billy. 'We have slow fermentation, because we cool it down, we take more time because we do the second decanting, we do longer ageing than most of our colleagues. Everything that is to do with the wine has to be slow.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDe Billy says that choosing the reserve wine is one of the key tasks just after vintage. 'When I started in the company in 1988, I did the mistake that all the newcomers make,' he shared. 'I said, this wine is not so good, so let's use it as a reserve. When you start you think that you need to put the best wine in your cuvée, and what you don't use you keep. My uncle told me that it should be the opposite. Because the reserve is used to make the next wine better. Bad wine from the beginning will never give good wine. Most of the reserve wine is selected at the beginning.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'First I do Churchill and Blanc de Blancs. They are the two smallest productions, and they are the two iconic wines of Pol Roger. Then I select the reserve wine. Then I do vintage and non-vintage at the end.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'We classify the wines. We taste during one month, beginning at the start of December. We have 3 oenologues in the company. We taste all the vats together. Some vats go to the distillery. After, we decide the vats which are obviously for the non-vintage. By mid January we have tasted everything. I make a decision and give the proposal to the rest of the family. It is like the election of the Pope: we don't leave the room until a decision is made. We start at 9 am and don't leave until we've decided.' \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil the 1970s Pol didn't source any wine from the Aube. 'This was for taste reasons, not quality (I'm going to be politically correct),' says De Billy. 'Nowadays, we'd like to have some. We have found 3 hectares in Les Riceys and we are very happy, because now the quality of Aube is much higher, and it was a taste that was missing in our palate. It's a taste we'd like to increase a little bit.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most unusual features about Pol Roger is that they do all – or almost all – the riddling by hand. They have 7 km of cellars, with the lowest at 35 m below the surface where this takes place. 'We are the last to do mostly all our riddling by hand,' says De Billy. 'I must be honest. We are good French and so we take an August holiday so there is a small portion, roughly 5% which is machine riddled, so that we can be sure that in September we can start again. 'They do triage in halfs, bottles, magnums and jeroboams. 'It takes a month to riddle by hand,' he says. 'There are four riddlers and each move 50,000 bottles a day. Each riddler has roughly 200,000 bottles under his own authority. The riddler is the only worker who is his own boss. We are asking him for a perfect wine a month after. We don't ask him how he does it. The sediment moves according to the atmospheric pressure, so in Spring and Fall it is a bit more difficult than in winter and summer. 'Normally people fill Jeroboams afterwards, but Pol Roger riddle quite a lot of them: around 2000. 'It is starting to be quite popular,' says De Billy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Cork is still a problem,' he says. 'The problem is the Mytik is not perfect, and real cork is not perfect. I am going to meet Monsieur Amorim in July.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBilly says that aperitif champagne is a new thing. 'Before the war, champagne was only before the meal and dessert. When people started to move to aperitif champagne, my father didn't want to change things in the cellars, so he changed the cuvee very slowly and created the Blanc de Blancs to answer this new demand. It was their prestige cuvée before they started Winston Churchill. They do only recent disgorgement. Ageing is minimum of six years, and if they can wait another year they do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey don't put information on the bottle about the blend, the bottling date and the disgorgement date and dosage. 'Our philosophy is don't give details to someone who is not able to understand,' says De Billy, pointing out that the information is on the case, but not the bottle. If the customer asks the question, the retailer can give the answer. They don't hide anything. 'We want to be able to give the details to someone who is able to understand it.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's a family resemblance to these wines. They are quite pure and have a nice linear character, but there's generosity too. The non-vintage is four years on lees, and all the NVs are one-third of each of the main grape varieties.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe lost bottles\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger - A Treasure Trove of Long-Buried Bottles\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ATreasureTroveofLong-BuriedBottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705977769\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ATreasureTroveofLong-BuriedBottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705977769\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParts of the following text are taken from an article by Laura Seal that appeared in Decanter in February 2018 (Photo: Michaël Boudot)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePol Roger has excavated some long-lost treasure from the wreckage of a cellar that collapsed in 1900 and buried more than a million bottles of Champagne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost 118 years ago, on 23 February 1900, disaster struck Pol Roger’s cellars in Épernay. Following a period of extreme cold and damp, vast stretches of wall suddenly collapsed during the night, demolishing adjoining buildings and burying 1.5 million bottles of wine, along with 500 casks. There was a sinkhole some 15 metres across and reaching down 20 metres into the earth. Three storeys of Pol Roger’s cellars had collapsed in on themselves. Damage was so extensive that the ground above the cellars caved in, causing the street level to fall by four metres. Great fissures formed in the nearby roads, rue Henri le Large and rue Godart-Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn account from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLe Vigneron Champenois\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etells how Pol Roger’s son Maurice awoke at 2am to 'a dull rumble similar to the sound of thunder. When the workers arrived a few hours later, the disaster was complete.' Maurice and his brother Georges had hoped they could attempt to salvage the buried wines by tunnelling into the rubble. But after a similar cave-in occurred a month later at the nearby property of Godart-Roger, the plans were abandoned, along with the ruined cellars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward almost 118 years exactly and Pol Roger is rebuilding a new packaging facility on the same plot of land. When the collapsed cellars were being industrially excavated, outgoing chef de cave Dominique Petit and his successor, Damien Cambres, happened to notice a large void at the site filled with mountains of broken glass and what appeared to be one intact bottle.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRumours that some bottles had survived the cellar collapse had become the thing of Épernay legend, although few believed that anything could actually have survived the impact of thousands of tons of chalk and clay.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the next 2 days, 19 more surviving bottles of bubbly - corked between 1887 and 1898 - came to light. '\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe wines are clear, the levels are correct and the corks are depressed,' said the Champagne House. '\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThese bottles are still on their lees and will have to be hand riddled and disgorged before being tasted. A\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e select few will have the privilege of discovering just how it compares to Champagnes of similar age, which have been carefully curated in the Pol Roger cellars.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOver the next 12 months the operation to salvage more unbroken bottles started and was stopped by rising water levels and further collapse, but close to 100 bottles were successfully removed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Chef de Cave Damien Cambers with the first bottle found\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ChefdeCaveDamienCamberswiththefirstbottlefound_1024x1024.png?v=1705981460\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" data-mce-style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de Cave Damien Cambers with the first bottle found (Photo: Michaël Boudot) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Tasting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe text below is taken from an article by Peter Dean that appeared in The Buyer in October 2019 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many special tastings in the world of wine and many special bottles – some of them with plenty of bottle age. But the tasting that took place three days ago in Epernay was in the realm of ‘I was there’. 119 years after its cellars collapsed Champagne Pol Roger opened the first two intact bottles it had managed to retrieve from the rubble of the 1900 catastrophe. Peter Dean was there to witness the preparation, painstaking disgorgement and taste the two wines, one most likely from 1897, the second from 1895 – the first vintage that was bought by Winston Churchill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was always the possibility that, sealed hermetically in chalk for 118 years, the Champagne would not only be drinkable but actually very good. Or perhaps the bottle’s opening would be like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where the power contained within would escape centuries of confinement to destroy the expectant onlookers?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe opening of the bottles\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward to three days ago – the afternoon of Oct 9th 2019 and the moment of truth had arrived. I had been invited as one of five journalists to travel from London to Epernay to witness the opening of, and taste, the first of the two Champagnes retrieved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no special significance to the date except that it was after the 2019 harvest had been completed and at a time when there was a ‘changing of the guard’ in the cellar – Dominic Petit leaving as chef de caves and Damien Cambres finally taking over – a nice baton pass from the old regime to the new. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter being shown where the calamity had happened and seeing all the bottles that have been retrieved, six were selected by Cambres and taken up to the disgorging room where Francis, an employee blessed with a spectacular mullet and a gift of opening almost any bottle set about his work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInverting the first bottle against an angle poise light, Francis first started removing with pliers the red wax that the estate had covered the closure with immediately after the bottles were pulled from the rubble. There was a staple clip and a crumbly end of cork that took 10 minutes of careful manipulation with a Durand to slowly ease out. The rest of the cork looked like it had 'become one' with the glass, so impacted and hard was it to remove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was like a sommelier’s worst nightmare and a wine nerd’s wet dream – the Jefferson bottles, this time though, for real; priceless, historic bottle, cork that is half earth, half stone. To make matters worse a bunch of hacks and snappers surrounding the man recording every tiny move.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCambres and Pol Roger’s MD Laurent d’Harcourt look on, giving very little away. The first part of the cork that had crumbled out was passed from palm to palm and sniffed – it smelt of wine and very good wine at that, like a piece of old madeira cake retrieved from the back of a larder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetritus collected at Francis’s feet then a little spurt of liquid, as he managed to remove all the dead yeast from the bottle before pouring a measure of light amber liquid into a tasting glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCambres sniffed, swirled and tasted. Still no flicker of emotion. This guy’s a poker natural.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the words we all wanted to hear…. \"C’est bon\" and the faintest flicker of a smile. OK now I am getting really excited – this stuff is going to be drinkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA temporary cork closure was inserted into the now-righted bottle and then Francis began on the second.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottle no.2 had no clip and, after another painstaking 10 minutes, an almost intact cork, far longer, was removed from the bottle. The cork is significant because not only did it smell even better than the first but the length of it and the absence of a clip leads Cambres to the belief that this is a bottle that has been disgorged, dating it from the 1895 harvest and bottle no.1 from 1897 (not disgorged).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo both bottles were Pol Roger Champagne made by Monsieur Pol Roger himself, with the 1895 having the added significance of being the first vintage that Winston Churchill bought, starting a relationship that carried on for the rest of his life and which, to a large extent, changed the direction of the house after that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe moment of truth – to tertiary and beyond\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo bottles in hand, Cambres then led us through the maze of cold cellars to ground level and the tasting room where we were joined by Hubert de Billy, Pol Roger’s great great grandson who confessed that the bottles’ discovery had taken away just that little bit of romance. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s not a question of sadness, it’s a nice story and I am proud and pleased but now it’s a fact and before it was a bit of a dream.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithout further ado Bottle No. 1 was poured, then bottle no.2. Both liquids were light auburn, the first with a little bit of a haze, the second with microscopic particles in suspension, like a drop of peach juice had been added.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the nose bottle No.1 had strong Fino notes. Over the course of ten minutes this changed rapidly and with a good deal of complexity – as though the years were catching up with it – nut shells, burnt sugar, polish, caramel, chestnuts on the fire. It was like a very old Madeira. On the palate the acidity was still there, there were pixilated flavours of old windfalls, tarte tatin, liquorice. The flavours were rich and deep. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottle No. 2 was instantly more ‘friendly’ and blow me if that wasn’t the tiniest whisper of fizz disappearing on my tongue. Just the faintest hint which disappeared quickly like a sepia image fading in bright sunlight. The nose was sweeter and had less solera, was more subtle and had an attractive note of meringue kept a little too long in the oven. There were aromas that reminded me of a very, very old Corton. The palate was extraordinary – although there was apparent signs of dosage, the acidity was still amazingly high, there was a fine texture, flavours of old strawberries on the turn, macerated fruit you retrieve from the rumtopf, then a power on the finish and a hit of alcohol that reddened the cheeks. Wow! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth wines had real purity, not a hint of a flaw, and quite unbelievably were a pleasure to drink. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course these are not the only old bottles in the eight kilometres of Pol Roger cellars – the ones that did not cave in – they have recently opened a 1892 and earlier this month tasted two bottles of 1914 that were auctioned five years ago in aid of the Imperial War Museum. But the two bottles we tasted are the wines that 'came back from the dead', the survivors, the wines that no one was supposed to drink but did. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bottles that were only dreamed about but became a fact. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s hard not to get emotional about engaging with something with such history and tells such a remarkable story but that’s the beauty of wine with age – tasted blind it would maybe have been a different experience but knowing what it was you were experiencing made the event truly remarkable and something that will never fade from memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger - Family photo with the salvaged bottles\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-Familyphotowiththesalvagedbottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705983349\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-Familyphotowiththesalvagedbottles_1024x1024.png?v=1705983349\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHubert de Billy, Dominique Petit, Laurent d’Harcourt, Christian de Billy and Damien (left to right) Photo: Michaël Boudot  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger_1024x1024.jpg?v=1705523198\" alt=\"Pol Roger\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger_1024x1024.jpg?v=1705523198\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House of Pol Roger is one of the oldest family run enterprises in Champagne. It was founded in 1849 by 18-year-old Pol Roger, the son of a solicitor living in Aÿ, a village famous for its vineyards lying at the foot of the Montagne de Reims. It was here he made his first sale of wine and formed the company under the single name of Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1851, the family moved to Épernay, where it is now. Initially the company supplied champagne to other large houses like Perrier Jouët and Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, but by 1855 Pol Roger had acquired his own vineyards and decided to produce sparkling wine under his own label. He decided to focus on Brut Champagne since this was the kind the British preferred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Pol Roger died in 1899 at the age of 68, his two sons Maurice and Georges, who \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ehad worked alongside him since the age of 18, took over the reins. \u003c\/span\u003eThree months later cat\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eastrophe struck when three storeys of Pol Roger’s cellars collapsed in on themselves burying 500 casks of wine and over one and a half million bottles of Champagne - the loss of the better part of three vintages. Other Houses in Champagne rallied around and saved Pol Roger from almost certain financial collapse. Maurice and Georges then changed their surnames from Roger to Pol-Roger to honor their father and to signify a new beginning and started rebuilding the business. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1927\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Maurice's son, Jacques, joined the firm heralding the arrival of the third generation. The connection between the House and Winston Churchill started when Odette Pol-Roger, Jacques's wife, met Churchill at an official lunch at the British Embassy in Paris in 1945. Famous for her beauty, grace and vitality, Odette, who had taken over the firm as unofficial head in the 1940s while still active in the French Resistance, managed to charm Churchill from the beginning. The pair became friends and Churchill’s passion for Pol Roger champagne only solidified as his friendship with Odette grew stronger over the years. After their meeting, Odette regularly sent Churchill a case of his favorite cuvée, the Vintage 1928. When this year ran out, he drank the 1934 until his death in 1965. The House estimates that Churchill consumed a staggering 42,000 bottles of Pol Roger during his lifetime. Odette, who died in 2000 at the age of 89, was the grande dame of the Pol-Roger champagne family and remains the most widely recognised ambassador of the firm to date. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGeorges Pol-Roger passed away in 1950 and Maurice in 1959. The third and fourth generations of the family began to run the company, with Jacques (and Odette) at the helm assisted by Christian de Billy, \u003c\/span\u003eMaurice's grandson and great-grandson of Pol Roger, who joined the company in 1953 as Export Director. Christian Pol-Roger, also a great-grandson of Pol Roger, arrived in 1963 to strengthen this collegial management and became\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e an ambassador for the brand for over 40 years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristian de Billy, who became chief executive officer in 1977, worked tirelessly to preserve the family character, reputation and independence of the business. He not only secured the independence of the house by significantly increasing the size of the family-owned vineyard, but convinced of the need both to refresh the image of the Pol Roger brand and to diversify the offering, he launched the Rosé Vintage cuvée in 1961, the Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée in 1965 and the Sir Winston Churchill cuvée in 1985. Christian de Billy passed away at the age of 93 in 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHubert de Billy, Christian's son and the first member of the fifth generation, joined the business in 1988 as Sales Manager for France and now heads the company, taking over from Cristian de Billy and Christian Pol Roger in 2013. The first member of the sixth generation of the family, Bastien Collard de Billy, joined the business in 2020 as General Secretary and Export Manager.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1997, Patrice Noyelle was appointed President of the Board of Directors, the first person outside the founding family to join the management team in the 160-odd year history of the House. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eToday, Pol Roger is still owned by its founding family who sit on the company’s Board of Directors. The company is currently headed by Hubert de Billy, together with Chairman of the Board Patrice Noyelle and Laurent d’Harcourt who succeeded Noyelle as President of the Board in 2013.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Winery and Cellars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe winery and cellars are located\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eon and under the celebrated Avenue de Champagne in the heart of  Épernay. The production facility, which was opened in January 1901, was badly damaged by German bombing raids in 1918 and was restored to its original design after the war.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe cellars run for 7km underground and are on three levels, the deepest known as the 'cave de prise de mousse' at 33m below street level. As the name suggests, this is where the wine undergoes its secondary fermentation in bottle. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThese cellars have a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, said to be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees colder than most other Champagne cellars. This slows down the speed of the second fermentation, requiring a longer aging on the lees resulting in a very fine and persistent mousse and great finesse and longevity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOne of the most unusual features about Pol Roger is that they do all – or almost all – the riddling by hand. \"We are the last to do mostly all our riddling by hand,\" says Hubert De Billy. \"There are four riddlers and each move 50,000 bottles a day. Each riddler has roughly 200,000 bottles under his own authority.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerthecellars_1024x1024.png?v=1706591505\" alt=\"The cellars at Pol Roger\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 2001 to 2011 the winery and cellars underwent a complete renovation at the behest of \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePatrice Noyelle who was the President of the Board of Directors. New stainless-steel vats were installed and from 2012 all fermentation has been in stainless steel. \"The philosophy of winemaking is the grape first,\" says Hubert de Billy. \"All the technical choices are to focus on the taste of the grapes, so we have no barrels. Everything that can add a foreign taste is forbidden.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this renovation, Pol Roger installed a higher number of smaller tanks (the tiniest contains around 25 hectolitres of wine) to be able to produce in isolation more diverse components of the final blend. \"It gives us more possibility and helps make our wines more complex,\" says\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLaurent \u003c\/span\u003ed’Harcourt. \"As with painting, the more colours you have the more complex wine you can make. It gives us more precision in our winemaking.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA huge expansion project to house a high-tech production facility was completed in 2023 and \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewill officially be opened in April 2024 as part of Pol Roger’s 175th birthday celebrations. The 4 level building\u003c\/span\u003e covering 18,000 square metres and costing £50 million had been on the agenda for ten years, was approved by the shareholders in 2019 and began construction in 2020. The building, which rests on the footprint of the historic site of the original cellars (which disastrously collapsed in 1900), allows Pol Roger to modernize and extend its production facilities - disgorgement, packaging, shipment and wine and dry goods storage - all under the one roof while keeping the facilities in the centre of Épernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe text below is taken from an article by Sarah Neish published in The Drinks Business, October 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampagne producer Pol Roger gave the drinks business a sneak peek of its high-tech production facility that has been three years and £50 million in the making.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s almost up and running! We’re just moving everything across now,\" Pol Roger’s managing director Laurent d’Harcourt tells db, his excitement palpable as he throws open the door to a new building, the construction of which has been at the top of the agenda at Pol’s HQ on the Avenue de Champagne for the last three years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving surpassed the 1.5 million annual bottle sales mark, Pol Roger was in need of more storage, and a tech upgrade to facilitate a slicker, speedier operation to match its sleek bottle designs and elegant cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Pol already squirrelling away a more extensive number of back vintages in its cellar than many other Champagne houses, space was at a premium, despite its 10km of winding underground tunnels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind Pol Roger’s commitment to keeping older vintages lies a passion for demonstrating that Champagnes can be aged for considerably longer than the five-year timeframe in which we are usually encouraged to drink our fizz. d’Harcourt is able to pluck a 1911 bottle out of the cellar and yet quips: \"We are a new Champagne house. We have only been here for about 174 years…\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn fact Pol Roger’s 175th birthday falls next year, and as part of its celebrations, the maison will be officially launching the new production site to the trade, with a presentation due to take place in April.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"We started thinking about it almost 10 years ago,\" says d’Harcourt of the building project. \"We got the green light from our shareholders in 2019 and began construction in 2020. Then almost immediately everything was shut down because of Covid and we were left with four cranes in place…\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisgorgement, packaging and labelling will all take place at the new facility, aided by a a \"multi-million pound\" robotic machine made by German company Schubert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottles of Pol Roger NV glide smoothly along on a conveyor belt, while a smart camera snaps an image of each and every bottle in order to gauge the positioning of the neck foil. A mechanical ‘hand’ then deftly rotates each bottle… 1cm to the right, 2cm to the left… to ensure that when a second grabber picks up the wine and places it gently into a 3-bottle wooden case, the Pol Roger logo faces upwards in every instance. It’s the Rolls Royce of wine packing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Pol exporting 85% of its total production, the house wants to guarantee that whether someone is opening a case of Pol Roger in London or Hong Kong, they will be getting the same first tantalising glimpse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Even non-vintage has to look smart\" says James Simpson, managing director, Pol Roger Portfolio, as he watches the bottles being efficiently packed like a father proudly watching his kids take laps of the pool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Pol Roger NV is the flagship of the house. If it’s not consistent you lose your customers, your admirers,\" adds d’Harcourt, emphasising the attention to detail for every expression that leaves the facility. From 2024, all wines will be shipped from the new building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA labelling room reminiscent of a cigar lounge houses a library archive of every front label ever sported by a Pol Roger bottle. Magnums continue to be hand-labelled on-site by members of the team, though a clever new piece of kit allows the heavy bottles to be suctioned up from the floor and deposited on a table for the person in question, saving them the exertion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the 2023 Champagne harvest having the heaviest bunches of grape on record, the additional space could not have come at a better time for Pol Roger. The only year when perhaps the harvest was larger was 1970 when, according to d’Harcourt, \"we had to store some of our wines in big water reserves because the harvest was so huge…\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the extra storage that the new building allows, d’Harcourt is nonetheless keen to stress that Pol Roger does not plan to grow \"too much\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"In the next 10 years we will see some growth but the Champagne region is selling what it is producing so there is no more availability to source from friends or neighbours.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSustainability has been built into the blueprint of the new Pol Roger building from the get-go. A system enables rain water to be collected from the roof to irrigate the freshly landscaped gardens, and the construction \"will be run on biomass energy in the future,\" says d’Harcourt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A project like this is not something you can repeat. So it is an investment for the next 30-40 years. The shareholders have given us the green light to invest, and we are doing so in pursuit of excellence,\" he says. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerVineyard2_86c80d0b-a0e3-49bb-bc12-c802253bfc04_1024x1024.png?v=1706943393\" alt=\"Pol Roger Vineyard\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRogerVineyard2_86c80d0b-a0e3-49bb-bc12-c802253bfc04_1024x1024.png?v=1706943393\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House owns around 100 hectares of vineyards, mostly centred around Èpernay, including Grand Crus Cremant, Chouilly and Avize on the Côtes de Blancs and Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy on the Montagne de Reims. The vineyards are all family managed and provide about half of the grapes Pol Roger requires.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to its own vineyards, the House has worked tirelessly to source the best grapes from up to 150 growers to provide the balance of grapes required for its annual production of 1.7 million bottles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenerally Pinot Noir dominant, the collection of wines from the Non-Vintage Cuvèes through to the stellar Cuvèe Sir Winston Churchill show consistency of house style and a pedigree that is the envy of many other grand marques.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef des Caves\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Pol Roger - Chef des Caves Dominique Petit and Dominique Petit\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/PolRoger-ChefdesCavespng_600x600.png?v=1705973348\" style=\"margin-right: 50px; margin-bottom: 30px; float: left;\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 50px; margin-bottom: 30px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominique Petit (at rear in photo) was appointed Chef de Cave in 1999 with a wealth of experience behind him, having worked for Krug for over 20 years. This experience and craftsmanship brought a controlled sense of power and concentration to the cuvées at Pol Roger, while still maintaining the supreme elegance and harmony for which Pol Roger is famous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePetit believes that great Champagne is all about the fruit, the quality of which Pol Roger can control as they own enough vineyards to supply some 50% of the fruit required for annual production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCareful attention in the vineyard is matched by meticulous care in the winery and cellars. Since Petit joined Pol Roger, more than 9 million Euros has been invested in upgrading the winemaking facilities and since 2011 they have fully moved to stainless steel fermentation and ageing. In the cellars, four 'remuageurs' hand riddle an astonishing 50,000 to 60,000 bottles per day in Pol Roger’s vast network of chalk cellars underneath rue de Champagne in Epernay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominique Petit retired in March 2018 and passed the baton to 43 year-old Damien Cambres (in front in photo). \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42896882630897,"sku":"","price":94.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Pol-Roger-Brut-Reserve-NVIN.jpg?v=1704251018"},{"product_id":"taittinger-brut-reserve-nv-gift-box","title":"Taittinger Brut Réserve NV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2023 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaittinger’s new chef de cave, Alexandre Ponnavoy, who took over from Loïc Dupont in May, has the challenging task of maintaining the house’s signature lively style. One of the most delicate brut non-vintages on the market, thanks to its high Chardonnay content, 60% of the grapes that go into Taittinger Brut Réserve hail from grands and premiers crus sites. First released in the 1930s, today 30% of the blend is made up of reserve wine, and is aged on its lees for three years before release. It typically takes seven months to create.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"As it happens I’ve had it a number of times over the past month or two and one thing I’ll say about it is this: serve it beside anything remotely down the pecking order and it smashes it for quality: it’s got breadth and finesse and length, and it drinks better out of a wine glass than it does from a flute. It’s 40% chardonnay but the pinot dominates, with a strawberried, pippy, almost cocoa-ed deliciousness to its leesy style. This is a really good NV, and I’ll be buying more of it.\"  Campbell Mattinson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The process of making vintage and non-vintage is different because we don’t want to tell the same story in a brut non- vintage as we do in a vintage. A brut non-vintage is a consistent cuvée that acts as a house’s trademark. The biggest challenge is to understand the different wines destined for the blend to have a clear vision of the expression at the time of its launch,\" says Ponnavoy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Taittinger Brut Réserve NV  has the largest family-owned vineyards in Champagne. This wine is 40% chardonnay, and 60% pinot noir and pinot meunier – 30% of it from reserves. It matured on yeast lees for at least three years. Balance is key, in the white flowers\/peaches of the bouquet and the honey and vanilla of the palate.\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 94 points and Top 100 Wines of 2023\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eAs it happens I’ve had it a number of times over the past month or two and one thing I’ll say about it is this: serve it beside anything remotely down the pecking order and it smashes it for quality: it’s got breadth and finesse and length, and it drinks better out of a wine glass than it does from a flute. It’s 40% chardonnay but the pinot dominates, with a strawberried, pippy, almost cocoa-ed deliciousness to its leesy style. This is a really good NV, and I’ll be buying more of it.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eCampbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAwards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2023 \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42896892494065,"sku":"","price":89.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Taittinger-Brut-Reserve-NV_9602fb9f-105d-4bfc-9036-6c4176b43d85.jpg?v=1776910678"},{"product_id":"veuve-clicquot-brut-nv-gift-box","title":"Veuve Clicquot Brut NV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNV Veuve Clicquot Brut is a perennial favorite. Like Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, Veuve Clicquot is owned by LVMH, but no-one would suggest this has led to any confusion between what are radically different styles. Most obviously, a few extra years of bottle-age for the Veuve allows the wine to add nuances of toast or biscuit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrapes for the 'Yellow Label'  are sourced from as many as 60 different Crus go. The proportion of each grape variety used is around 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier. In order to achieve consistency of taste which makes Brut Yellow Label so immediately recognisable, the Cellar Master draws on priceless reserve wines for the blend, sometimes as much as 40% to ensure the continuity of the House style. Each of these older wines - perhaps nine years old - is kept separately to preserve the unique qualities of the vineyard and the vintage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Three years on tirage. The bouquet is charged with brioche, toast and spices, the palate with a similar framework for the red berries of the pinots and stone fruit ex the chardonnay. Faultless balance.\"  James Halliday\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003e52% pinot noir\/28% chardonnay\/20% meunier; three years on tirage. The bouquet is charged with brioche, toast and spices, the palate with a similar framework for the red berries of the pinots and stone fruit ex the chardonnay. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFaultless balance ex a dosage of 9g\/L. Cork.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Halliday, The Weekend Australian - 94 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eFirm and delicious, showing sliced apples and green pears with some flint and bread dough. It’s medium-bodied with fine bubbles and a crisp, delicious finish. Gives a dry impression. Drink now.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com – 92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43590784745713,"sku":"","price":84.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Veuve-Clicquot-Brut-NV.jpg?v=1776911149"},{"product_id":"krug-grande-cuvee-brut-170eme-edition-nv","title":"Krug Grande Cuvée Brut (170ème Édition) MV","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"God makes a vintage, I make Grande Cuvée.\"  Joseph Krug\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Krug is the king of champagne.\"  James Halliday\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKrug Grande Cuvée needs no introduction. It is undisputably the greatest non-vintage champagne. The 170ème Édition (each year there is a new edition) was composed around the harvest of 2014. It is a blend of 195 wines from 12 different years. The youngest is from the year 2014 and the oldest dates back to 1998. Bottles are aged for around seven years in Krug’s cellars, which gives this Édition its remarkable expression and elegance. The final composition of this bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée is 51% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 11% Meunier.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Wonderful precision and depth right away on the nose, with dried pineapple, light apricot and hints of flint and slate. Medium-bodied palate that’s firm, bright and linear. Vivid, driven acidity adds focus and perfection. Dried lemon and a wonderful, creamy texture with a mineral undertone. Extremely long, almost endless. Sophistication here.\"  James Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"To create this Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée, the Cellar Master looked to accentuate the year’s elegantly diverse aromatic expressions with different plots’ reserve wines from 11 other years. In all, reserve wines from the House’s extensive library made up 45% of the final blend, bringing the breadth and roundness so essential to each Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisually, this Champagne has a pale gold color and is filled with fine, lively bubbles, promising incomparable pleasure. Aromas of flowers, ripe, candied and dried citrus fruits, as well as almond paste and gingerbread stimulate the nose. Notes of hazelnut, nougat, barley sugar, fruit and citrus jelly, almonds, brioche and honey explode on the palate.\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKrug\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWonderful precision and depth right away on the nose, with dried pineapple, light apricot and hints of flint and slate. Medium-bodied palate that’s firm, bright and linear. Vivid, driven acidity adds focus and perfection. Dried lemon and a wonderful, creamy texture with a mineral undertone. Extremely long, almost endless. Sophistication here. Drink or hold.\u003c\/span\u003e\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJames Suckling, jamessuckling.com - 96 points\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA lovely ferny nose and breezy seaside raciness. Bright yellow fruit on entry, a flicker of preserved lemon and cooked quince adding vibrancy. Then comes the Krug richness which spreads over the palate. The balance hovers tantalisingly between tactile precision and soft warm fruit and the finish reveals layers of cinnamon-tinctured blancmange, and the creaminess goes on. Rich but light on its feet. A definite buy and a keeper.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e  Decanter - 96 points\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The numbering indicates this is the 170th blending of this Champagne. This iteration has a fine poise—it's mature and toasty on the one hand and offers rich fruit on the other. It is a finely balanced wine that is ripe and full in the mouth. Drink this beautiful wine now.\" \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoger Voss, Wine Enthusiast - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This Grande Cuvée Edition is a blend of 195 wines from 12 different years spanning from 1998 to 2014. The colour is rich, lemon-gold; the nose already generous, with a complex melange of apricot jam and dried fruits, sweet pastries and baking spices. The oak is notable but neatly in the background and with no oxidative tones; it lends only sweet, spicy tones and charred-wood whiffs. This is the child of a cool year, and the acidity feels accentuated, the overall impression a little lighter than on most vintages. But there is a welcome freshness cutting all that concentration and vinosity, leading to a super-long, driven and mouthwateringly fresh finish. Even if it comes with great potential, the wine is generous, laudable and already approachable now. Krug ID 221037. Dosage 6g\/l.\" \u003cstrong\u003e Essi Avellan MW - 96 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"From vintages spanning from 1998 to 2014, the NV Champagne Grande Cuvee 170eme Edition is decadent and nuanced, with a rounded perfume of toasted brioche, lemon curd, and honeydew melon. Ripe yellow orchard fruits fill the palate with nectarine, fresh grapefruit pith, and a core of acidity. This is showing wonderfully now, although it still has the tension to go for the next 20 years. Drink 2022-2042.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eAudrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com – 95+ points and Top 100 Wines of 2022\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKrug's NV Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition is based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by some 45% reserve wines dating back to 1998, with the house drawing on, among many others, 2013 for structure and 2012 and 2003 for generosity. Opening in the glass with aromas of pastry cream, dried fruits, pear, warm spices, freshly baked bread and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and fine-boned, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a precise, chiseled profile. But if the latter adjective could be applied to the 2013-base 169ème édition equally felicitously, the 2014-base 170ème is more giving and less tightly wound out of the gates and will offer more demonstrative drinking young.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Drink: 2021 - 2041.\"  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Kelley, Wine Advocate - 95 points  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA lovely, mouthwatering Champagne, with a vivid and finely detailed panoply of baked nectarine, lime blossom, ground coffee, mandarin orange peel, candied ginger and salted almond notes set in a lithe, limber frame. Seamlessly knit, with a sense of buoyant vitality, this has a harmonious, elegant frame for the richly expressive flavor range. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Disgorged winter 2020 to 2021. Drink now through 2027.\"  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlison Napjus, Wine Spectator - 95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Lots of acidity! Extremely lively and brisk. But it’s actually readier than most young Grandes Cuvées I have tasted at this relatively early stage with sumptuous texture actually. Very clean and fresh. Bone dry but broachable and quite charming within the Krug ethos. Really quite friendly. One of my favourites of this line-up!\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e   Jancis Robinson - 18\/20 points\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe very soon to be released new 170ème Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée is a stunning young wine. It is from the base year of 2014 and composed from a cépages of fifty-one percent pinot noir, thirty-eight percent chardonnay and eleven percent pinot meunier. In this vintage, a nearly unprecedented forty-five percent of the blend was made up of reserve wines. The reason so much of the blend this year was made up of reserve wines was the crop of pinot noir in 2014 was not stellar, as it had to contend with the infestation of Suzuki flies that damaged the quality of this grape in particular leading into the harvest of 2014. But, fortunately, there was plenty of pinot noir in the reserve wine library at Maison Krug, so the challenge was able to be overcome beautifully. The 170ème Édition of Grande Cuvée is strikingly floral this year, offering up a beautiful bouquet of pear, delicious apples, hazelnut, a complex base of soil tones, orange zest, patissière and a gorgeous array of floral scents in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and beautifully mineral in profile, with a fine core, refined mousse and a very long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is a beautiful rendition of this iconic wine\u003c\/span\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJohn Gilman, View From the Cellar - 95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJulie Cavil\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Julie Cavil, Cellar Master at Krug\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/KrugJulieCavil_1024x1024.png?v=1700697583\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/KrugJulieCavil_1024x1024.png?v=1700697583\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulie Cavil, Cellar Master at Krug\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe article below by Adam Lechmere appeared in Club Oenologique\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many professions, a senior executive moving into the top job regards it as an article of faith that they should stamp their personality on the organisation. Julie Cavil – who, a year ago, took over from Eric Lebel as chef de cave at Champagne Krug – sees her role somewhat differently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing in and making her own rules would be easy, she says. \"Anyone can do that.\" The true challenge, she says, is not to make sweeping changes, but still achieve greatness.  \"What really motivates me is to be able to re-create the same level of excellence, year after year, circumstance after circumstance.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Champagne, consistency is all. It’s not a matter of having a style (Cavil says there is no such thing at Krug) but instead achieving something both simple and intangible. On one level, it’s straightforward: the winemaker’s job is to follow the founder Joseph Krug’s ambition to make \"the very best Champagne … every year, regardless of annual climate variations\". This expression of excellence must take account of so many variables, however, that it can become as complicated as a game of 4D chess. Not only are you blending wines from dozens of different vineyard sites – \"paying close attention to the vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot\" – but you are also tapping into an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not something you can learn at business school. Cavil worked with Lebel for 13 years before being anointed cellar master. (The word \"anointed\", with its implications of conferring divine or holy office, is appropriate.) The first thing he taught her, she says, was patience: \"A journey with Krug is a lifelong milestone. Just as I cannot tell you at what precise moment a reserve wine will be ready until the day I taste it and the decision becomes obvious, passing the torch is something you feel but cannot always explain.\" For Cavil, it came relatively soon after joining Krug in 2006. \"After two years, Eric and I had chosen each other,\" she says. \"We both knew I would be his successor.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt this level, all of Krug’s six winemakers have the necessary skills to make Champagne. But there are also what Cavil calls the \"intangible aspects of craftsmanship: intuition, passion and an intimate knowledge of each plot\". These elements can’t easily be taught but, rather, seem innate. So should a chef de cave share character traits with their predecessor? \"I would say so, for one very important reason: when you become Krug cellar master, you become one with the house, the guardian of its legacy. At Krug, each cellar master naturally arrives in this role because he or she shares the values of excellence, attention to detail, curiosity, quality without compromise, and respect for heritage – all with a maverick spirit. I am no different whether I am at Krug or at home; it is part of who I am, just as it was for my predecessors.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaking Champagne is, of course, a business as well as a craft – and like all businesses, it must be safeguarded for the future. The mentoring process is continuous. \"My role at Krug is threefold,\" Cavil says. \"It relates to the present, the past and the future.\" The vineyards must be husbanded, the reserve wines selected, and a successor must be groomed. \"Carrying on the legacy of a Champagne house that has existed for six generations means you make it your mission to protect and perpetuate this heritage, just as you would pass on a legacy to your own child. When mentor and mentee share this vision, the future of the house is secured, which is what matters most.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krug-JulieCavilandEricLebel_1024x1024.png?v=1704074735\" alt=\"Julie Cavil and Eric Lebel\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJulie Cavil and Eric Lebel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe article below by Wine Advocate's William Kelley appeared in the Michelin Guide Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn January 1, Julie Cavil took on the role of Cellar Master at Krug. Cavil began working at Krug 13 years ago, and outgoing Cellar Master Eric Lebel will be staying on in the capacity of Deputy Director of Maison Krug, so this is hardly revolutionary news. But the appointment of a new chef des caves is nonetheless an important moment in the history of any Champagne house. To learn more about the woman who has landed one of Champagne’s most coveted positions and about the future of Maison Krug, William Kelley of The Wine Advocate sat down with Cavil for her first interview in her new capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou’ve had an unusual career for a chef des caves. How did you end up in the wine world? Were you born into a family of wine lovers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m not from Reims nor even Champagne, and if you’d told me 15 years ago that I would be living in Champagne, that I’d be an oenologist, and that I’d be working for Krug, I truly wouldn’t have believed you. So, working in wine represented a revolution in my life. I’m from the center region of France, and, yes, from a family of wine lovers, so I was certainly aware of wine - but at age 17, when I had to choose a career, I opted to go to business school before working for six years in public relations in Paris. At 17, my palate was still comparatively undeveloped. But with time, I became passionate about wine - reading books, attending tastings with professionals. And I was also thinking about leaving Paris, about how to construct a more balanced professional life. You see, the world of public relations is inherently ephemeral, with a rapid turnover in projects and personnel, whereas the world of wine, it’s the opposite: it takes time, it’s durable. So in fact, what I was looking for in my professional life was perfectly aligned with my growing passion for wine. I duly went to Champagne and went back to school, despite meeting with a somewhat skeptical reception - \"she’s too old, she has children already,\" and so on. Indeed, in the end, that only motivated me further to prove myself and confound stereotypes. I did internships at Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, with Dom Pérignon, and then I joined the team at Krug in 2006.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt’s true that the worlds of public relations and wine couldn’t be more different - after all, with the just-released 2006 Krug, we are finally getting to taste the Maison’s work of over a decade ago - but do your experiences in your former career inform what you do today in any respect?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving the experience of working in a totally different field perhaps gives me a different perspective on Champagne - it’s easier for me to step back and see things in context, and perhaps sometimes to reconsider them. It isn’t easy to put a finger on it. But above all I simply take pleasure in working in a much more long-term business; because, in a sense, I have three jobs - the first is to recreate Grande Cuvée every year; but looking back in time, I also have to preserve the institutional memory of Maison Krug; and looking forward, I also have to think about how to transmit that heritage, everything we’ve learned and continue to learn, to my successors - even if I’ve only just assumed my new role. So, I have to think about the past and the future as well as the present. And perhaps that’s a reaction against my prior career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grande Cuvée, in its various manifestations, has always been Krug’s emblematic bottling, the bottling that expresses the house style to the fullest. How would you characterize it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove all, the Grande Cuvée is what we call \"the founder’s dream:\"Joseph Krug’s vision to recreate every year, by blending, the fullest expression of what Champagne has to offer; and that’s what we try to perpetuate. But what does that mean? It has to be a charismatic wine that’s exciting from the first glass - its flavors, its textures, its colors. It has to be capable of pairing with all sorts of food, of reconciling paradoxes in the glass: it must be expressive and mature, but also fresh and vivacious. When we say Krug Grande Cuvée, it’s a blend of 150 to 200 different wines, from 10 to 15 different vintages. It takes a minimum of 20 years to make one bottle. I think that makes it clear - you have the fresh fruit of the recent harvest, the dried and preserved fruits of the older vintages in the blend, and the Grande Cuvée encompasses them all. Beyond that, I’m delighted when someone puts their nose in a glass of Krug for the first time and says, \"that’s different!,\" and wants to take a second sniff. And of course, even if it’s a blend from across the region, it’s a homage to the terroirs of Champagne, with every parcel kept separate during vinification and maturation, and assembled in the most complementary way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug’s style is quite pronounced. How do you make sense of the relationship between a strong house style and the expression of Champagne’s terroirs?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTerroir finds its purist voice in the wines we make from the Clos du Mesnil and the Clos d’Ambonnay. They’re pure expressions of two sites - and two cépages, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - in all their individuality. But we don’t seek to express terroir simply for its own sake. Consider one of our parcels, where the soil changes from one end to the other very markedly. We always used to vinify the parcel as a whole, but now we’re more inclined to make two different wines from the two different parts of the parcel. Because that way we can bring out the maximal expression of both. In other words, like I said, we don’t seek to express terroir for its own sake; we simply seek to do justice to each site, to make the best possible wine from each site. And that gives us the highest-quality and most characterful components with which to produce the best possible blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you had to pick a bottle - or bottles - of Krug that have particularly shaped your understanding of the house, which would they be?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes the biggest impression on me every year is when we make the blends, on the one hand, the Grande Cuvée - trying to express the best of Champagne - and on the other hand, the vintage, trying to express the personality of the year to the fullest. Working on the two side by side is unique, and every time it’s fascinating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs far as particular vintages are concerned, I have a weakness for the 1995. I think it’s a little in the shadow of the 1996, but the 1995 has a classical balance, with wonderful freshness, that I like very much.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd among the very oldest, 1915. Why? My first job at Krug was to take an inventory of the wine library, noting all the particulars of each bottle one by one. And it happened that, while I was working on this project, the cork of one of the bottles came out. So, I had 15 minutes to assemble the tasting committee, including the fifth generation of the family represented by Remi Krug, as well as Olivier Krug and Maggie Henríquez. And I served them the wine blind, giving them some time to reflect in silence. It was very amusing, because in the end everyone said it was something from the 1950s or 1960s, when in fact it was 1915. The aromas were very concentrated, and on the palate, it was still strikingly fresh, and that’s why everyone thought it was younger. It was a great moment. What I learned working with Krug’s old wines was to be humble, because sometimes even the bottles that didn’t look promising in terms of level and preservation turned out to be fabulous and remarkably long-lived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat makes Krug special?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s not easy to summarize! But what makes us a little different is that we produce a prestige Cuvée every year - because that’s what Joseph Krug defined as the objective in his notebooks all those years ago - with no hierarchy between the non-vintage and the vintage bottlings. And so, anyone who likes Krug doesn’t have to wait for a \"great vintage: they can have the experience with every bottle. What else? From an oenological perspective, our obsession is to preserve the character of each parcel throughout the winemaking and maturation process, so we have at our disposal the richest and most varied palette with which to produce our blends. Barrel fermentation is the only way we can do that, the only way we can vinify every tiny parcel separately. And certainly, barrel fermentation gives a patina to the wines of Maison Krug. I wouldn’t say, honestly, that it’s better or worse than stainless steel - it’s a choice, a style. But perhaps you could say it’s like the difference between hi-fi and stereo: barrel fermentation, like hi-fi, expresses everything more intensely - the good as well as the less good. And it can be more complicated on a technical level. But I also think the fact that our wines are exposed to oxygen early in their lives means that they are less susceptible to oxidation later, which helps to explain Krug’s unusually long aging potential - almost indestructible when stored in the best conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeing a chef des caves for a house like Krug is a position of immense responsibility and imposes a lot of pressures. Does it leave you much creative freedom?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, this new position isn’t a radical transformation: I’ve been at Krug for 13 years, and Eric Lebel and I naturally got on well; Eric opened the doors of his universe to me. So, the first thing to say is that I’m prepared - and, of course, Eric will still be at Krug, just a little more backstage. That’s very reassuring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other thing to know is that the important decisions aren’t made by one person - that would really be hard. The tasting committee, for me, is very important. I’m very proud of our group, it’s talented, humble and experienced, with a variety of perspectives and palates that all bring something to the table and help us get closer to our objective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd beyond that, the prospect that excites me certainly isn’t to change everything - that would be easy. Rather, it’s to attain the same level of excellence, year after year, vintage after vintage - that’s much more challenging, more motivating, and that’s what I want to do. That said, we do have to question what we do every year: there is no recipe, each year is a blank slate. And I do want to work - and in fact I have been working - on studying our parcels, understanding them better, dividing them more intelligently to farm them accordingly and to vinify them accordingly. So, you could say precision viticulture is one thing that excites me. As does a move towards sustainability - and that includes not just the vineyards but taking care of our workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat brings me to the greatest challenge facing contemporary Champagne: how to produce wine in a more sustainable manner?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell it’s a project we’ve been working on for some time already, and there are lots of things to do. We’re looking at how we can be more precise in tracking ripening throughout our parcels as we approach harvest, as getting the date right is more and more critical: we don’t like to correct the must once it’s pressed, so we have to pick at the right moment. At a more long-term level, we’re looking at massale selections that might help to buffer the impact of climate change; at pruning methods, where we have to re-educate our workers; as well as how to promote deeper rooting. We’ve used zero herbicides for several years now, and even if we’re not organic or biodynamic, we’re as close to organic as we can be. But our view, for the time being, is that sometimes it’s still necessary to intervene to save the harvest. There are aspects of biodynamics that interest us and we’re studying them. In short, we remain open-minded and curious, exposing ourselves to other ideas. For example, it’s a small thing, but we’ve found that grazing sheep in the vines can bring advantages in terms of biodiversity. So, we’re experimenting with that in one of our parcels. And it goes beyond simply using or not using synthetic products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd what is the greatest challenge facing Krug today?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s to be able to continue to make Grande Cuvée every year. That’s to say, to have all the prerequisites to produce the fullest expression of Champagne. So, it’s a huge challenge, it’s very stimulating, it’s very motivating. As far as I’m concerned, I have the best job in the world! And I’m very proud to be able to take the baton from Eric, and by extension his predecessors, and to be working alongside an extraordinary team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krugmaison_3a6a6ee3-861d-4876-8e68-b6c0c4c3fab6_1024x1024.png?v=1700704093\" alt=\"Maison Krug\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krugmaison_3a6a6ee3-861d-4876-8e68-b6c0c4c3fab6_1024x1024.png?v=1700704093\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1843 by Joseph Krug, it is no exaggeration to say that Maison Krug is the most prestigious winery in AOC Champagne, as well as the world's most famed sparkling wine producer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph Krug was born in Mainz, Germany in 1800. He left Mainz in 1824 and in 1834 was employed by Champagne Jacquesson as an accountant. He spent eight years with Jacquesson, his work taking him well beyond accountancy as he toured Europe liaising with wine sellers and customers. He also learned about composition and taste, so that by 1840 he was blending Champagne for at least one other house. In 1841 he married and a year later his son Paul was born. The same year he moved to Reims, and following a year of negotiations, he founded Krug et Cie. in 1843. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJoseph was fluent in French, English and German and spoke some Russian, which allowed the company to exploit key overseas markets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph died in 1866 and was succeeded by his son Paul Krug. Joseph had laid the foundations for the business and under the supervision of Paul, the House was established as a grande marque. By the 1880s the prestige of Krug was acknowledged in the United Kingdom, then the primary overseas market for Champagne. In 1866 the House moved into the premises in Rue Coquebert, in Reims, that it still occupies today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom its inception, Maison Krug set out to produce world-class sparkling wines with a consistent level of quality, regardless of the vagaries of each vintage. Krug Grande Cuvée was born, the staple of the company and the only sparkling wine that they release onto the market every year. A non-vintage Champagne, it is made by blending about 120 different cuvée wines from 10 different vintages. Some of the reserve wines are over 15 years of age. The consistency in the taste of the Grande\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Cuvée\u003c\/span\u003ealong over the years attests to the remarkable craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail of Maison Krug's winemaking team. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the non-vintage \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrande Cuvée, Krug produces small quantities of the following wines:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eKrug Rosé NV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eKrug Rosé was first made in 1983, 140 years after the company's founding. It is a blend of three grape varieties, several different vintages from Krug's library of 150 reserve wines and a skin-fermented Pinot Noir wine which gives it its colour and unique flavour. Krug Rosé spends at least five years in the House's cellars. It is re-created on a yearly basis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Vintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAccording to the House, the Krug Vintage is not the selection of the best wines of a particular year\", but rather the expression of that vintage year. Composed only of wines from a single year, Krug Vintage sits in Krug's cellars for at least a decade before release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Clos du Mesnil\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA blanc de blancs. Comes from a single plot (clos in French) of Chardonnay: a 1.84-hectare vineyard in the centre of Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Cotes de Blancs, protected by walls since 1698. It comes from a single year and is kept in Krug's cellars for over a decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKrug stresses that the wall and unusual location in the center of the village create a micro-climate that gives a unique character to its grapes. It was for this reason that the House was inspired to devote a Champagne to a single plot for the first time in its history, resulting in Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979, presented in 1986.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Clos d'Ambonnay\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA blanc de noirs. Also comes from a single year, and its grapes from a single 0.68-hectare walled plot of Pinot noir in the heart of Ambonnay, another village in France's Champagne region that plays a key role in Champagne making. Bottles are aged for over twelve years in Krug's cellars and are rare due to the small size of the vineyard. Krug purchased the land in 1994 and released its first vintage - Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1995 - in 2007.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the early 1980s, Krug introduced Krug Collection, an extension of Krug Vintage, consisting of bottles that have been kept in the House's cellars in Reims for at least ten additional years to allow the development of second-life aromas and flavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House owns 30% of the vineyards that produce its wines, a relatively high percentage in Champagne, with 20 hectares of vines in Ambonnay, Aÿ, Le Mesnil and Trépail. The rest of the grapes come from around 100 long-term contract growers who supply 65% to 70% of the company's grapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn total, Krug sources grapes from 250 plots in the Champagne region – there are around 270,000 plots listed within the boundaries of AOC Champagne. Planted with the traditional varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, each vineyard is individually vinified according to its particular characteristics. As Krug preserves the individual character of each wine, winegrowers are able to taste each of the wines selected from their plots and follow their evolution over time in the event that their wines are selected as Krug reserve wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaking\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImmediately following the harvest, the grapes are pressed close to Krug's plots, with this first grape juice kept for 24 hours in a vat in preparation for the fermentation stage. The pressing from each plot is vinified separately. A pressing contains 4,000 kg of grapes and yields 20.5 hectolitres of first juice (the \"cuvée\"), which is poured into twelve oak casks chosen at random. Once fermentation is complete, the eleventh and twelfth casks are used to top up the other ten casks to protect the new wines from oxidation. For fifteen days, each cask is topped up with wine from the same plot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKrug uses small 205-litre Argonne oak casks tailor-made from trees that are more than two centuries old in the forests of Hautes Futaies in Central France. Krug never uses these casks immediately; during the first two or three years they receive only second and third grape juices, with the goal of \"tanning\" the casks through the fermentation process, ridding them naturally of their woody aromas, making them well-seasoned and organoleptically inert. The average age of Krug oak casks is 20 years. They are retired after approximately 40 years of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer preceding the harvest, casks are regularly watered to humidify the wood, a process Krug deems essential as its wines are not wood-aged and its casks are therefore empty for eight to nine months of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wines remain in the casks for several weeks. Finally, between December and January, the wine is drawn off into small stainless-steel vats. From here, depending on the decisions of Krug's tasting committee (see below), the wines will either contribute to that year's assemblage or be stored in steel vats in the House's library of 150 reserve wines to be used in the blend of a future Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting committee and assemblage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver a five-month period in autumn and winter, Cellar Master Julie Cavil and the Tasting Committee have a series of sessions during which they taste over 400 wines, including around 250 wines of the vintage year and 150 reserve wines from at least 10 different years, each of them from a single plot. In this way, each of the 400 wines can be appraised before any blending decision is made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt each session, between 15 and 18 samples are blind tasted, commented on and scored. During the tasting period, wine from each plot is carefully referenced, tasted at least two or three times and given a mark out of 20. By the end of December, the tasting committee has established what Krug calls a \"character sketch\" of the vintage year and begins tasting the 150 reserve wines from which it will draw the missing elements needed to re-create the character of Krug Grande Cuvée year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the spring, a second tasting session of wines from the year reveals how the wines have evolved over the winter period. Julie Cavil then proposes up to three blends for the Champagnes of that year, with each member of the committee having one vote. Once the blend has been decided, the House prepares for bottling which takes place once a year between April and May.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Krug Champagnes are bottled during a single session, around thirty weeks after the harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCellars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce bottled, they are kept in the House's cellars in Reims. Krug characterizes this final stage of its winemaking process by very extended aging on the lees. Indeed, Krug's main champagne, Krug Grande Cuvée usually stays in the cellars for at least seven years, Krug Rosé for five years, and Krug Vintage, Krug Clos du Mesnil and Krug Clos d'Ambonnay for at least ten years.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44076733497585,"sku":null,"price":460.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/krug-grande-cuvee-brut-170eme-Edition-NVIN_04d49e65-6535-41b5-bbe4-3e13cc5ed887.jpg?v=1747370382"},{"product_id":"louis-roederer-collection-243-mv-gift-box","title":"Louis Roederer Collection 243 MV (Gift Box)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Collection 243 has all its warmth and generosity thanks to the perfect ripeness of the fruit harvested in the 2018 vintage.\"  Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Chef de Cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 'non-vintage' Brut Premier was replaced by the 'multi-vintage' Collection  242 in September 2021 when Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon's aim was no longer consistency, but to make the best possible wine in that year. \u003c\/span\u003eThe Collection cuvée each year is a bespoke vinification, made up largely from the current harvest, a significant percentage from the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePerpetual Reserve and around 10% of reserve wines that are aged in French oak foudres. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Collection 244 is the finest release of the house's reimagined non-vintage Brut to date. Offering up aromas of pear, peach and nectarine mingled with notions of white flowers, beeswax, freshly baked bread and buttery pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with a pretty pinpoint mousse, racy acids and a long, chalky finish. The quality of the base vintage really shines through.\"  Wine Advocate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollection 243 is based on the 2018 vintage. 2018 was a warm, continental and truly unique vintage. Summer set many new records in terms of heat, drought and sunshine levels. The Pinot noirs displayed a luxurious texture whilst the Chardonnays were dense and saline and the Meuniers were intensely fruity. All weree harvested at perfect ripeness. The 243rd \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecuvée comprises\u003c\/span\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e-  59% Vintage 2018\u003cbr\u003e-  31% Perpetual Reserve (Vintages 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)\u003cbr\u003e-  10% Reserve Wines Aged in Oak (Vintages 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Lovely golden yellow, very champagne-like, hue. Dense and steady flow of extremely fine bubbles. Deep, broad bouquet of ripe fruit (wild peaches, william pears) combined with citrus (lemons, blood oranges). The iodised and smoky notes, associated with the autolysis and the ageing in wood, add aromatic freshness. Then come notes of chalk and a hint of reduction, suggesting that the wine will be concentrated and powerful. The entry to the palate is delicious showing a rich and robust texture. We have a very juicy and concentrated sensation as if we were biting into a ripe fruit. The substance is caressingly soft, coating the palate but is then immediately lightened by the delicate bubbles. The length is created by a lovely backbone of chalky freshness. The wine is both delectably rich, with a slightly roasted character, and super fresh thanks to a salivating finish. The smoky notes then take over to underpin a very flavoursome finish.  Collection 244 marks the return of the texture of the Meunier from the Marne and the Montagne, which adds a lovely richness to the well-structured and saline Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes!\" \u003cstrong\u003e Louis Roederer\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLight straw colour; very fresh, zesty\/vibrant bouquet with chalky, slaty and citrus-blossom aromas, the wine is full in the mouth, quite voluminous, generous, almost rich, round and ample, with a soft\/cuddly mouth-feel which is different from all the other Collection wines, incorporating a hint of sweetness. Can feel the richness here, but it's cleaner and drier towards the finish, enhanced by a little phenolic grip. A ripe and glorious style of Champagne. (2018 base vintage)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDried-lemon, apricot, green-apple, salted-almond, walnut and light caramel notes. Vinous and layered, with small and tight bubbles. Excellent focus and intensity. Based on 2018, with reserve wines going back to 2009. Dosage 8g\/L. Drink now.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"  \u003cstrong\u003eJames Suckling\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, Jamessuckling.com - 94 points\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The NV Champagne Collection 243 Brut is the third release and is based on the 2018 vintage, with the addition of 30% of the perpetual reserve started in 2012 and 10% reserve wine that has been aged in oak. It is ripe and balanced, with yellow flowers, honeycomb, and plum, and it has elegant concentration and underlying tension, precise mousse, and rich salinity, with lingering notes of croissant and delicate smoke. This will be an exciting wine in the range to follow.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eAudrey Frick - JebDunnuck.com  – 93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The NV Collection 243 is bright, punchy and wonderfully effusive, the 243 really shows the more vibrant style Roederer is going for with their new entry-level NV bottling. Citrus peel white, flowers, mint, slate and a host of saline notes build nicely. This is impressive, to say the least. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eAntonio Galloni, Vinous – 93 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBased on the 2018 vintage and complemented by reserve wines from a solera established in 2012, as well as younger foudre-aged reserve wines, Roederer's newly released NV Brut Collection 243 is a pillowy, enveloping Champagne evocative of crisp stone fruits, honeycomb, white flowers and buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous, with an ample core of fruit, bright acids and a saline finish, it will offer demonstrative drinking on release. Drink 2021 - 2035\u003c\/span\u003e.\" \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e William Kelley, Wine Advocate - 92 points\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\"A vibrant Champagne that's fine and creamy on the palate, almost plush, but bright and well-balanced throughout. Reveals a chalky base note that underscores layers of ripe pear and nectarine fruit, mandarin orange peel, oyster shell and chamomile. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Drink now.\"  \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAlison Napjus, Wine Spectator - 92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cs-detail\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCollection\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Louis Roederer Collection Label\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoedererCollection_1024x1024.png?v=1703313569\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe House's calling card, Roederer’s Brut Premier, was introduced in 1986. It was a\u003c\/span\u003e traditional three-way blend of around 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, with the addition of a minimum of 20 percent reserve wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 'non-vintage' Brut Premier was replaced by the 'multi-vintage' Collection  242 in September 2021 when Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon's aim was no longer consistency, but to make the best possible wine in that year. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Collection cuvée each year is a bespoke vinification, made up largely from the current harvest, a significant percentage from the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePerpetual Reserve* and around 10% of reserve wines that are aged in French oak foudres. For example, Collection 244 is made up of 54% of the 2019 harvest, 36% of the Perpetual Reserve and 10% of oak-aged reserve wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e* A key part of developing Collection was creating a Perpetual Reserve. Held in an enormous 10,000hl stainless steel tank, this reserve is a constantly evolving blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Started in 2012, it contains wine from every harvest since, stored without oxygen, in the depths of the House's cellar.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Champagne House wanted to reflect the historical origins of the Brut Premier in the Collection blend. To this end, 1\/3 of the blend is from their 'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the sub-regions of Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Blancs respectively).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Difference Between Multi-Vintage and Nonvintage Champagnes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe text below is taken from an article by Bernadette Machard de Gramont that appeared in Wine Enthusiast\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2021, Champagne producer Louis Roederer made headlines when it decided to stop making its best-selling nonvintage Brut Premier, replacing it with a new multi-vintage cuvée called \"Collection.\" It’s the latest producer to announce such a change, following in the footsteps of houses like Jacquesson, which - over 20 years ago - got rid of its nonvintage blend in favor of the Cuvée seven-series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBesides Jacquesson, a handful of other houses also have multi-vintage offerings: Krug makes its Grand Cuvée, Laurent Perrier makes Grand Siecle Iterations and Champagne Lallier created the multi-vintage bottling Serié R (the \"R\" stands for \"Recolte,\" the French word for \"harvest\"). But are these multi-vintage wines all that different from their nonvintage counterparts?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe answer is a resounding \"oui.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Is Nonvintage?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’ve ever enjoyed a moderately-priced bottle of yellow label Veuve Cliquot or blue label Nicolas Feuillatte, you’re probably somewhat familiar with nonvintage Champagne - these wines don’t have a singular harvest year (aka \"vintage\") specified on the label. The wine industry has long used the term \"nonvintage\" (sometimes written as \"NV\") to indicate wines made with grapes from several harvest years. This is a particularly important practice in Champagne, where wine reserves are kept to mitigate the effects of a bad growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Traditionally blends were made to avoid the vintage’s effects like yield and quality,\" says Maximilien Bernardeau, enologist at Station Oenotechnique de Champagne (SOEC). \"Blends also help preserve the same taste year after year.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNonvintage bottlings account for over 75% of Champagne shipped around the world, according to data provided by the Comité Champagne. Part of the allure of these wines is that since they’re made yearly, and in large quantities, they’re typically more abundant and less expensive than vintage Champagnes. They have a consistent style and familiar flavor profile, regardless of the release date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Nuance of Multi-Vintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile all nonvintage Champagnes are technically \"multi-vintage,\" the producers opting to use that specific verbiage want to differentiate these bottlings from a typical house blend. Because the term \"multi-vintage\" isn’t one regulated by Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) rules, how each house chooses to blend can vary greatly - they only have to abide by the same guidelines as they would if they labeled their wine as nonvintage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Louis Roederer, the new multi-vintage process involves a base wine created from a \"reserve perpetuelle,\" much like the solera system used when making Sherry: A reserve of older vintages is kept in a vat that is replenished with wine from the current harvest. For Jacquesson, the base wine comes from the most recent harvest, supplemented by 20 to 30 percent reserve wines. At Krug, the Grand Cuvée is centered on a specific harvest year, then meticulously blended with dozens of wines from ten or more different years. Lallier focuses on a single harvest mixed with small quantities of vintage years, and Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle blends just three outstanding vintage years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Perpetual Reserve\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoederer4_1024x1024.png?v=1705803823\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile nonvintage wines strive for uniformity and consistency from year to year, multi-vintage wines manage to retain a more distinct style. They’re also meant to highlight the best attributes of a specific harvest and offer unique characteristics for each bottling - all traits that are usually only associated with vintage Champagnes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"We now blend our multi-vintage with a vintage philosophy more than a non-vintage philosophy,\" says Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, chef de cave at Louis Roederer. \"Each blend - 242, 243 - has a distinctive character and singularity of its own. That gives a real identity to each wine, almost like a vintage.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Stepping Stone to Vintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVintage Champagnes are only made in the most exceptional years, which is why they are highly coveted by wine collectors and connoisseurs, and often reserved for special occasions. For casual drinkers of sparkling wines, making a foray into vintage Champagnes can be quite a costly endeavor; the price of many bottles start at over a hundred dollars and, depending on the year and availability, can range well into the thousands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut just because a Champagne is considered vintage doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a superior wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Even a qualitative vintage is not perfect, except for a very rare vintage like 2008,\" says Bernardeau. \"Multi-vintage, which are blends of the best vintages to get a high-quality cuvée, are often better than a single vintage.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMulti-vintage options aren’t necessarily inexpensive, but they are often more accessible than their single-vintage counterparts. They can also offer insight and education about vintage variations without losing the consistency of a house’s signature style. These blends are the perfect vehicle for exploration by combining the best of both vintage and nonvintage cuvées.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Elevating our ambitions toward a multi-vintage freed us from any previously imposed formula,\" adds Lecaillion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, multi-vintage Champagne may fall under the umbrella of nonvintage wine, but the category allows winemakers more creative latitude since they aren’t trying to make the exact same wine as the year before. The resulting wines are often more expressive and complex, and may lend themselves better to aging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo many, this puts them a cut above your typical nonvintage Champagne - something worth raising a glass to. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChef de cave\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoedererChefsdeCave_1024x1024.png?v=1702984554\" alt=\"Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Louis Roederer Chefs de Cave\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe following text is from an article by Sophie Thorpe, 'Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon: Champagne beyond the bubbles', that appeared in Fine+Rare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe man who crafts Cristal, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, is one of Champagne’s most pioneering winemakers and a legend of the industry. When he took the helm at Louis Roederer in 1999, he became Champagne’s youngest Chef de Cave, aged just 33. In a rare move for the time, he fought to ensure he was in charge of both the vineyards and winery – knowing that the former would define the wines he produced. Since then he’s continued to push boundaries in the name of quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house is one of the last to remain family-owned and – even more rarely for a Grande Marque – it owns an impressive 242 hectares of vines, providing enough fruit for around 70% of its production. Lécaillon transformed the way Roederer farmed, pushing first for an organic, then biodynamic approach – with half the vineyards now certified organic and half worked biodynamically, and no herbicides used at all. The results speak for themselves – with the house’s prestige cuvée Cristal arguably the finest and most sought-after in the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the man himself is as effervescent as the wines he crafts. Lécaillon is clearly still enchanted by the world of wine –absorbed by its complexities and totally excited by it. Talking to him at a recent tasting, he explains his aim simply: \"We are going beyond the bubbles.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor him, Champagne has traded on its fizz for too long. The wines were once sweet and served with dessert, they then became dry and were used as an aperitif, before becoming inextricably tied to celebrations – a curse that has limited the way Champagne is seen, and savoured. The industry has capitalised on its occasionality, but behind those bubbles – Lécaillon insists – is \"a real terroir, a real wine\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is this exact sentiment that is behind the Grower movement – something that Lécaillon clearly identifies with – however the movement also poses a threat to those trying to source fruit. For the little fruit Roederer doesn’t grow themselves (30% of their production), Lécaillon picks specific plots from around the region and tries to encourage growers to use a sustainable approach. The team will visit the vineyards in spring and summer, and choose the picking date with the grower. While today it’s sometimes tricky to persuade growers to change the way they farm, Lécaillon anticipates a generational shift will take place as more sustainability-invested children take over from their parents. Roederer used to buy fruit from Anselme Selosse, but – naturally – the star vigneron now keeps it all for himself. The fear is that the new generation won’t want to sell their fruit – leaving the Grandes Marques only lesser sites, farmed without the same stringency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything Lécaillon has done at Roederer has been about championing site. He arrived at the house in 1989, but set off instantly for the property’s projects in Anderson Valley, California and then Jansz in Tasmania, returning to Champagne in 1994. Between 1996 and 1998, he worked on a soil study of the house’s vineyards, as well as an archive study – tasting wines back to 1876. When he took over in 1999, he separated all the plots – with 45 specific mid-slope chalky sites dedicated exclusively to Cristal, fruit for the Blanc de Blancs coming from their La Côte estate in Avize and the vintage wine based around Pinot Noir from their La Montagne estate in Verzy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChanging the viticulture was the next step. In the 1970s, ’80s and even ’90s, Champagne’s soils were a literal dumping ground – with Paris’s rubbish used as \"fertiliser\". Lécaillon is one of many that has pushed for change in this area. He feels that organic farming produces better fruit with more dry extract and concentration, but also healthier vines that are stronger and more resistant to the vagaries of vintage – and climate change. Half the property’s vines are now farmed biodynamically – including all the plots used for Cristal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a bid to further champion their terroir, Lécaillon established the region’s first private nursery in 2015. He wanted to gather different massale selections from the Roederer vineyards – cuttings from pre-clonal vines that he feels have adapted to climate change and will be key to the house’s (and Cristal’s) future. He claims that it’s the biggest private collection of Pinot Noir in France, and they’ve now expanded the nursery to include not just Chardonnay and Meunier, but all seven of the region’s permitted varieties – including the little-planted Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. The Chef de Cave feels that field blends with these varieties could be the future with climate change – adding freshness to the wine. Over the last two decades, Lécaillon’s work in the vineyard has brought further freshness and precision to the wines – and the introduction of Collection was the latest step in that direction, a move to \"bring [the wine] closer to the terroir\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"A horse plowing the vineyards at Champagne Louis Roederer\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoederer2_1024x1024.png?v=1703029453\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA horse plowing the vineyards at Louis Roederer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCristal might be the jewel in the house’s crown, but a non-vintage blend is any house’s calling card – representing the most significant volume produced (75% at Roederer) and the wine that reaches the most people. It is, Lécaillon says, always the hardest to produce, the most complex to blend – and yet also the one that receives the least attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoederer’s Brut Premier was introduced in 1986, but back then Champagne was more marginal, viticulture and winemaking less advanced, and the battle was for ripeness. In vintage years, the fruit was actually ripe; the art of non-vintage blends was correcting the under-ripeness of the other years with reserve wines. Now, with climate change and the evolution of farming, Champagne has riper fruit than ever before, and an increasing number of vintage-quality years. \"The battle now is not for ripeness, but for freshness,\" Lécaillon explains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollection 242 was released in September 2021, with many initially mourning the loss of Brut Premier; people, however, have been won round. As has become fashionable (along with the likes of Krug or even Nyetimber), the wine is \"multi-vintage\" or \"MV\" rather than \"NV\" or \"non-vintage\". In Lécaillon’s view, \"NV\" is \"corrective\", whereas, \"MV is the story of the new Champagne\". Their aim is no longer consistency, but to make the best possible wine in that year. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe points to 2002 as a pivotal year in the journey to Collection. It was a stunning growing season, with every plot producing wine of vintage quality – but to build a consistent non-vintage wine, they had to \"destroy\" the quality of each. While Lécaillon feels Brut Premier was an \"outlier\" in the range, Collection is \"more Roederer\", \"more Champagne\" – which, for him, has to have an oyster-shell salinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA key part of developing Collection was creating a perpetual reserve. Held in an enormous 10,000hl stainless steel tank, this reserve is a constantly evolving blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Started in 2012, it contains wine from every harvest since, stored without oxygen, in the depths of their cellar where the temperature is cool and stable. This, Lécaillon feels, brings extra texture, depth and a \"vintage dimension\" to Collection – without the heaviness that he saw in Brut Premier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blend also includes more traditional reserves aged in oak (around 10% of the final blend), all with fruit from the younger vines in plots otherwise dedicated to Cristal (only 20-year-old vines make it into the prestige cuvée). The most important element here is that the toasting of the barrels is very light, what Lécaillon describes as a \"white toast\", so that it doesn’t dominate the terroir.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollection 242 was followed by 243 last year – and they are two extremely different wines, the 243 riper and richer versus 242’s more mineral expression. This – for Lécaillon – is what makes an \"MV\" approach so much more interesting, for both him and wine-drinkers. It is, he tells me, \"a blank page every year\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith everything from zero-dosage experiments to rootstock trials, Lécaillon is constantly looking for ways to improve – with a relentless zest and enthusiasm. For this vigneron, a blank page isn’t daunting – it’s a chance to express his terroir. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Louis Roederer\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoederer1_1024x1024.png?v=1703028693\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLouis Roederer is one of the last\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrande Marque Houses in Champagne that is\u003c\/span\u003e independent and family owned, with 7th generation Frederic Rouzaud currently at the helm. \"It’s a family business, family managed. There are just 10 family members – this is very important and gives us a lot of control,\" says Chef de Cave\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJean-Baptiste Lécaillon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the 100 hectares acquired in 1850 by Louis Roederer, the Domaine today extends over 240 hectares, \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eproviding enough fruit for around 70% of its production. All the Roederer vintage wines are 100% estate grown. \"We are a grower,\" says Lecaillon. \"When you taste Vintage Roederer – Cristal, Cristal Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, Vintage, or Vintage Rosé – we are a grower.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt's only for \u003c\/span\u003ethe Collection (formally Brut Premier) that the House buys in grapes, where 40% of the fruit is sourced from long-term contracted growers. \"We buy mainly Meunier, because our vineyards are mainly located in Grand Cru or Premier Cru, and as you know these are mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e,\" says Lecaillon.\u003c\/span\u003e \"I only have 6 hectares of Meunier. This doesn’t mean we don’t like Meunier: it just means that we have soils that are chalky. Chalk is not a Meunier soil.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince 1999, under\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Louis Roederer has championed organic and biodynamic practices. In 2012 Louis Roederer became the largest biodynamic producer in Champagne. \u003c\/span\u003eToday, half of Louis Roederer's vineyards are certified organic and half worked biodynamically, as part of what Lécaillon says is a work in progress. No herbicides are used at all. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1833 Louis Roederer inherited the Champagne house Dubois Père et Fils from his uncle, Nicolas-Henri Schreider, for whom he had been working since 1827. Roederer changed its name and began purchasing Grand Cru vineyards in Vallée de la Marne. This approach contrasted sharply with other Champagne Houses, who at the time, purchased all of their grapes. Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel and methodically acquired the finest land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLouis turned out to be a shrewd businessman, who managed to develop champagne exports and who convinced many members of the elite to try out his wines. His most notable encounter happened in 1867, three years before his death, when he showcased his champagne at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. There, he met the Czar Alexander II of Russia, who fell head over heels for Roederer's champagne cuvées and promised to order wine from the French entrepreneur regularly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLouis' business acumen, astute vision of the future, together with his belief that all great wine depends on the quality of the vineyard, helped to establish the fame and reputation of the House of Louis Roederer. He died in 1870.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter his death, his son Louis Roederer II took over the running of the house and began to export his Champagnes to the United States and Russia. Czar Alexander II of Russia wanted his champagne to be delivered in clear bottles with flat bottoms, as he had many enemies who were adept at using explosive devices and poison. In 1876, Louis fashioned the famous 'Cristal' cuvée for the Tsar and became the sole supplier to the Russian Court. The relationship between House Roederer and the Russian nobility would be a lasting one and the Czar's coat of arms still appears on the champagne's labels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLouis Roederer II died suddenly in 1880 and the winery was managed firstly by his sister Léonie, followed by her son Léon Olry-Roederer who took over the reins in 1880 until he died in 1932.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor the next 42 years, from 1933 until 1975, the winery was managed by Léon's young and strong-minded widow, Camille. She ran the Champagne House with formidable intelligence and singular dynamism, and against all odds, held on to the near-bankrupt House and then succeeded in bringing back the glory days. She nursed the House back to a profitable enterprise through the Great Depression and World War II, and continued the tradition of buying great vineyards when prices had dropped after the war. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCamille Olry-Roederer loved horse racing and owned one of the most famous stables in the world. She also embraced the more festive and pleasurable aspects of champagne, holding many lavish receptions in the family’s Hôtel Particulier in Reims. These parties had a lasting impact on the history of the House and introduced a whole new generation of wine lovers to the joys of Louis Roederer Champagne, including Gustav V and VI of Sweden, Frederick IX of Denmark and Queen Elizabeth II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpon Camille's death, her grandson Jean-Claude Rouzaud ran the house until 2006. With a background in oenology and agronomy, he brought more cohesiveness to the prestige champagne brand. The House diversified its business interests under his management, purchasing shares in the champagne house Deutz and the legendary Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, in Pauillac.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJean-Baptiste Lecaillon joined Roederer in 1989. After several stints at Roederer's subsidiaries abroad he returned to Reims in 1994 to work as chief enologist. In 1999 he became Chef de Cave and has been a leading force in Roederer's biodynamic approach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Louis Roederer House has remained an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by Jean-Claude’s son, Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage. Today Louis Roederer’s annual exports total three million bottles and the brand’s prestigious cuvées have an enviable following among wine drinkers, critics, and investors worldwide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/LouisRoederer3_1024x1024.png?v=1703056228\" alt=\"Louis Roederer Vineyards\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLouis Roederer has always invested in their vineyards. The original Louis Roederer began purchasing Grand Cru vineyards in Vallée de la Marne and familiarized himself with his different vineyard parcels. Subsequent generations have retained a firm focus on the vineyards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday the House owns over 242 hectares (594 acres), predominantly from Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. The estate vineyards account for 70 percent of production and a\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ell the Roederer vintage wines are 100% estate grown. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRoederer owns vineyards in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCôtes des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMontagne de Reims regions. The House owns more than 80 hectares in the Côtes des Blancs, with a vineyard team based in Avize. They also have a team in the Vallée de la Marne, in Aÿ, where they have 65 hectares, and another team in the Montagne de Reims looking after some 70 acres.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoederer, under Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, has split up the vineyard holdings so that specific plots are designated for particular cuvées. The aim is to have the same people tending the same vines year after year. The grapes in each plot are meticulously gathered by hand, collected in the buckets and pressed on the site of the harvest. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe pressing process is a delicate one because the berry must not alter the colour of the juice, which must maintain its golden hue and clarity. The plot-by-plot vinification ensures that the origins and traceability of the grapes are preserved and provides a record of the fruit from each plot. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInside the cuves and the tuns, the wine from each plot develops into an 'entity' in its own right, with its own qualities - and sometimes weaknesses - that the oenologists fully nurture and exploit. \u003c\/span\u003eThe specific characteristics of each cru are preserved until the blending process.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrivate nursery vineyard\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the village of Bouleuse, near Reims, Roederer has a very important vineyard - with 11 out of the village’s 13 hectares, they effectively own the village. They selected the vineyard in 2013 to plant American rootstocks on which massale selections from their own vineyards are grafted. This means they can plant young vines that have wholly been grown in their own sites, without using an external vineyard nursery. They have been granted the status of 'pepiniériste privé' which allows them to do this. They also \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003egrow young vines without American rootstocks, using grapevines from before the Phylloxera crisis, to see if there is a difference in taste.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"It’s very important because it is a bit away from the mainstream of vineyards and we have all our nursery there: we do all massale selection and grow all our own rootstocks,\" says Lecaillon. \"We have the unique position in Champagne of having our own private nursery. We are the only house with this position. We believe the challenge of the 21st century will be genetic. This is why we really focus on massale selection and we believe there is a huge biodiversity that we can explore. This could answer a lot of questions of the 21st century, such as climate change. We have some Pinot Noir clones that can ripen three weeks apart. From one Pinot Noir to another you reach the same alcohol level with three weeks difference. This is huge. In the context of global warming you can imagine planting late-ripening Pinots as opposed to the early-ripening Pinots planted in the 1960s and 70s.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiodynamic farming\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRoederer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas always farmed as sustainably as possible and, in 2002, was the first Grande Marque house to adopt biodynamic farming. Today, half of Louis Roederer's vineyards are certified organic and half worked biodynamically. They are the largest biodynamic producer in Champagne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Out of the 242 hectares, we have 122 hectares – a bit more than half – organically certified,\" says Lécaillon. \"We are increasing our certification every year. We have 10 hectares that are Demeter biodynamic certified as well, but we do biodynamics on all the estate. All the organic vineyards, except three plots that we keep as a control, are biodynamically farmed. We do all our biodynamic composts, we do the preps on all the organic estate.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"We started our conversion to biodynamic farming in 2000. We switched the estate slowly. In 2007 all Cristal Rosé was biodynamically farmed. Since 2012, Cristal is completely farmed biodynamically, and since 2006 we have Brut Nature that is 100% biodynamically farmed.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey can't be biodynamically certified on more of the vineyard area because they buy in fruit for the Collection (previously Brut Premier). \"I can be organic, but I cannot be Demeter because I am fermenting some wines here that are not Demeter certified. If you want to be Demeter certified you have to be 100%, and for Brut Premier I am buying fruit,\" he explains. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wines \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection Cuvée\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe House's calling card, Roederer’s Brut Premier, was introduced in 1986. It was a\u003c\/span\u003e traditional three-way blend of around 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, with the addition of a minimum of 20 percent reserve wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 'non-vintage' Brut Premier was replaced by the 'multi-vintage' Collection  242 in September 2021 when Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon's aim was no longer consistency, but to make the best possible wine in that year. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Collection cuvée each year is a bespoke vinification, made up largely from the current harvest, a significant percentage from the \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePerpetual Reserve* and around 10% of reserve wines that are aged in French oak foudres. For example, Collection 244 is made up of 54% of the 2019 harvest, 36% of the Perpetual Reserve and 10% of oak-aged reserve wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e* A key part of developing Collection was creating a Perpetual Reserve. Held in an enormous 10,000hl stainless steel tank, this reserve is a constantly evolving blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Started in 2012, it contains wine from every harvest since, stored without oxygen, in the depths of the House's cellar.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Champagne House wanted to reflect the historical origins of the Brut Premier in the Collection blend. To this end, 1\/3 of the blend is from their 'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVintage Brut\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage, a blend of around 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, is a testament to an exceptional year. It aims to capture the unique expression of the Pinot noir from the 'La Montagne' estate, which comes mainly from the original vines purchased by the Champagne House in the village of Verzy. Around one-third of the wine is \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eoak-aged. \u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain perfect maturity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Vintage Rosé, a blend of around 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, is a snapshot of a year. The Rosé comes from 35 small staggered plots on the warm terroirs of the 'La Rivière' estate, from the vines in the Cumières and Chouilly Crus. Like the Brut \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVintage, the Rosé is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVintage Blanc de Blancs\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe 100% Chardonnay Vintage Blanc de Blancs is inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year. The fruit is sourced from hillside plots in the Grand Cru village of Avize in the heart of the 'La Côte' estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of this great terroir. The Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for five years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement before release. 10-20% of the wine is vinified oak casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eCristal was\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e created in 1876 and was \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe first Cuvée de Prestige launched in Champagne. It is \u003c\/span\u003ea blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eseven \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003eround\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e1\/3 o\u003c\/span\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'La Rivière' Estate, 1\/3 from their 'La Montagne' Estate and 1\/3 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru villages of Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Beaumont-sur-Vesle, the Chardonnay from \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003eMesnil \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003esur Oger\u003c\/span\u003e, Avize and Cramant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround a third of the wines are vinified in oak, the remainder in steel. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. The wine spends 6 years on lees in Louis Roederer’s cellars and after dégorgement is left for a further 8 months before it is released. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCristal Rosé\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn 1974, almost 100 years after the launch of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud created the Cristal Rosé cuvée. He selected old-vine Pinot noir grapes from the finest Grand Cru vineyards at Aÿ, which are now cultivated according to biodynamic principles. The unique calcareous clay soil, which gives the grapes an exquisite minerality, enables the vines (in the best years) to attain exceptional fruit maturity, complemented by a crystalline acidity.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"cell\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCristal Rosé\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ea blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e three\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGrand Cru villages in the region. A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eround \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e1\/2 o\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ef the wine is sourced from their \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e'La Rivière' Estate and 1\/2 from their 'La Côte' Estate (in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003esub-regions of Vallée de la Marne and Côtes des Blancs respectively). The Pinot Noir comes from the Grand Cru village of Aÿ, the Chardonnay from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ethe Grand Cru villages of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMesnil \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003esur Oger and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Avize.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComprising around 20% of wine matured in oak tuns, Cristal Rosé is produced using the saignée (bleeding) process after cold maceration. The cuvée is aged, on average, for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrut Nature\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eIn October 2014, Frédéric Rouzaud added the latest vintage cuvée to the portfolio, the 2006 Brut Nature. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon says of the Brut Nature, \"This is, without a doubt, the least 'Roederer' in style of all our Champagnes, as well as the most modern.' The collaborating designer Philip Starck wanted to create a modern Champagne – a wine of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis inspired Lécaillon and his team to go against all classic rules of Champagne making. The wine is made from a single year, one terroir, picked in one day, co-pressed and co-fermented, with less mousse (a lower pressure of 4 atmospheres of pressure when typically most champagnes are at 6 atmospheres) and no dosage. The essence of this cuvée is its uniqueness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cuvée is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier - the percentages of each varietal vary markedly from year to year. The grapes are sourced from three plots in the Cumières Cru in their 'La Rivière' Estate. The Cumières clay hillside on the banks of the Marne river, turned towards the sun and basking in its light, is a hallowed enclave. These black soils have long been known to produce generous, opulent and intensely fragrant grapes, and in warmer years (when the Brut Nature is made) the grapes obtain incredible ripeness and a higher vibration which gives a lovely contrast between fruity intensity and salinity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven if Lécaillon feels they can make a similar wine in sun-drenched years, he stresses that \"the next vintage will be different, as the aim of the cuvée is to express the essence of this specific place in a specific year.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44229740986609,"sku":null,"price":99.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Louis-Roederer-Collection-243.jpg?v=1707087518"}],"url":"https:\/\/canterburywines.au\/collections\/corporate-champagne-gifts.oembed","provider":"Canterbury Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}