POL ROGER

Pol Roger was established in 1849 in Épernay and remains one of the few family-owned Champagne houses — historically the favorite Champagne of Sir Winston Churchill, who reportedly drank a pint of Pol Roger daily for the last 50 years of his life. The range includes Brut Réserve (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay), Brut Rosé, Extra Cuvee de Reserve, and the prestige vintage Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What was Winston Churchill’s relationship with Pol Roger and how did it shape the Cuvée?

Churchill encountered Pol Roger at a luncheon in Paris in 1944 hosted by Odette Pol-Roger, shortly after the liberation. He was immediately taken with both the wine and Odette, and the friendship that followed became one of the most documented human-Champagne relationships in history. Churchill named one of his racehorses Pol Roger; Odette’s family named one of their racehorses Winston Churchill. He reportedly consumed a pint of Pol Roger daily — almost always the Brut NV, with occasional forays into the vintage wines. When Churchill died in 1965, Pol Roger placed a black mourning border on the labels of all bottles sold in Britain for a period of tribute. The Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill was created in 1984 by Christian de Billy with Odette’s guidance to honor him — the exact blend is a house secret, but it is Pinot Noir-dominant from Grand Cru vineyards and produced only in the finest years, with a track record of exceptional longevity.

Is Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill worth aging?

Yes — it is one of the more age-worthy prestige cuvées produced in Champagne. The Pinot Noir dominance provides structure and tannic backbone that supports long aging; the Grand Cru fruit concentration provides the depth to develop over decades. Pol Roger releases the cuvée after 8–10 years of aging at the house, and it continues developing for 10–20 additional years in the bottle. Recent vintages (2009, 2012, 2013) show both the immediate accessibility of excellent fruit and the structural complexity that rewards patience. The cuvée is not produced in every year — only in years the house judges worthy of bearing Churchill’s name.