The Long Awaited Release of…
2018 Pol Roger ‘Sir Winston Churchill’
Hosted by Bastien Collard de Billy,
Secretary General, Export Manager, & 6th Generation of the Family
Taste through 11 of Pol Roger’s Champagnes, including -
‘Sir Winston Churchill’ Vintage Vertical
2018 | 2015 | 2012
Sunday November 16th
Dinner: 6pm, 11 Pol Roger Champagnes with 5 Courses | $475
Our Host - Bastien Collard de Billy
Bastien Collard is Secretary General and Export Manager at the Champagne house of Pol Roger, which was founded by his great-great grandfather, Pol Roger.
In the early 1990’s, Hubert and Evelyne de Billy, as the fifth generation of the family, joined Christian de Billy and Christian Pol-Roger to work for the Champagne House, Bastien is now the first of the sixth generation to have joined the family business.
Bastien has a background in law with degrees in Business Management Market and Regulation Law. He was an attorney in mergers and acquisitions for Pernod-Ricard, then later held the same position for the company’s Cognac subsidiary, before returning to the family business.
The Critics on the 2018 Pol Roger ‘Sir Winston Churchill’
“Very vibrant with more energy than many 2018 champagnes. But, unlike some 7-year-old versions of this wine, it's already delightfully approachable.”
- 18/20 Points, Jancis Robinson
“Like a finely tailored suit, this exhibits impeccable harmony, class and attention to detail.”
- 97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
“A Champagne built more on finesse and persistence than size.”
- 96 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The Champagne List
First course
NV Pol Roger Brut Reserve
“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.”
95 Points& Top 100 Wines for 2022 - James Halliday Wine Companion
NV Pol Roger Brut Reserve Magnum
Second course
NV Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut
Cooked apples and lemons with nougat, light caramel and ginger on the nose. Medium to full-bodied with creamy texture from the fine bubbles that spread across the palate. Plenty of flavor but not overpowering.
94 Points - James Suckling
2015 Pol Roger Brut Blanc de Blancs
Sleek and minerally, this elegant Champagne is crisply lacy in texture, with notes of Asian pear, lemon preserves, salted almond and white blossoms that are lightly honeyed and juicy throughout. Shows good drive on the firm, lingering finish. Drink now through 2034.
94 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
Third course
2018 Pol Roger Brut Vintage
Rich, floral nose with a real spread of power on both nose and palate. Really very winning! Lemon-cream flavours – very seductive. Long. This has really opened out since I first tasted it from magnum in March 2024. Definitely rich – a world away from a zero-dosage grower champagne – but it should be hugely enjoyable in the relatively short term. (JR)
17.5/20 Points - Jancis Robinson
2016 Pol Roger Brut Vintage
It pours a straw hue and displays a more expressive profile on opening, with notes of tangerine and fresh flowers, its red fruit coming through with fresh red raspberry and peppery spice. It’s medium-bodied and rounded through the palate, with excellent structure, powerful concentration, and a long finish. This has a refined yet powerful feel and will be a wine with significant longevity and slow maturation over the next 15-20 years. True to the house style, it has a sturdy backbone and is emblematic of a fantastic vintage champagne from Pol Roger. The mousse is pinpoint and rounded on the finish.
95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Fourth course
2018 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill
Like a finely tailored suit, this exhibits impeccable harmony, class and attention to detail. Integrates a firmly structured spine of acidity with flavors of ripe plum, candied lemon peel, lightly toasted hazelnut, brioche and chamomile, caressing the palate with the plush, creamy mousse. Long on the finish, with mineral, graphite and spice hints, this is hard to stop sipping now but should reward those who wait with even greater expression in years to come. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
2015 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill
There is a wonderful biscuity aroma to this Pinot Noir-dominated Champagne. Named after the British war-time prime minister and an avid consumer of Champagne, the wine is mature, full of ripe yeasty flavors and concentration. The wine, from a great vintage, is at a perfect stage and ready to be drunk. But the wine will also age for many years, certainly until 2030.
99 Points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
2012 Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill
The great 2012 vintage shows well in this rich, full Champagne. Dominated as usual by Pinot Noir, the wine is powerfully ripe and impressively full of white fruits and tight minerality. Ready to drink from 2022, it is worthy of aging and certainly drinkable even in 10 years time.
99 Points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
Fifth Course
2018 Pol Roger Rose Vintage
The 2018 Champagne Vintage Brut Rosé pours a bright but deeper shade of pink with an orange hue and is forward with aromas of ripe raspberry, rose petal, orange peel, and a hint of spice. Medium to full-bodied, it has broad shoulders and a bit of tannic grip, with a fine mousse that fades to the background, allowing the wine's more serious side to show off its style. Chalky and powerful on the palate, with wonderful clarity and a long finish, it’s going to move into its more savory side with another couple of years in the cellar.
95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
To Finish…
NV Pol Roger Rich Demi-Sec
Pol Roger's NV Demi Sec Rich is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of honeycomb, ripe pears, brioche, frangipane and candied peel. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's elegantly textural, with racy acids, nicely integrated sugar and a precise finish. This works very well with certain desserts—think fruit tarts made with flaky pâte sucrée—and will pick up additional complexity, making it even more versatile at the table, with bottle age.
92 Points, William Kelly, The Wine Advocate