2004 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill

'My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best' - Sir Winston Churchill

2015 is the fortieth anniversary of the first vintage of Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill (SWC), a splendid and rich flagship Champagne. The links between Churchill and Pol Roger were strong and developed over more than sixty years. Even though he never visited the house, he described it as the 'world's most drinkable address.' Like many of his personal relationships, it seems this one was best when mostly conducted at a distance. But Churchill was never far from a bottle - often a pint - of Pol Roger's Brut Reserve, which he knew as White Foil.

Including this 2004, there have been only fifteen releases of this wine, the first only in magnum. Now composed entirely of grand cru fruit, it undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation and long lees aging. SWC is not a marketing driven Champagne, only trading on a name. The wine remains true to Churchill's ideal style of Champagne, which should be powerful, full bodied and mature.

2004 was what you might call a modern vintage, with a good spring and fine autumn, but a cool and damp August, which slowed things down a little, giving the grapes more time to develop flavour on the vine. The cooler summer also maintained good acidity and gave Pol Roger very high quality fruit to select for this prestige cuvée. The wine has superb balance and richness and is a brilliant price. /CW

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available autumn 2015