The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during Churchill's lifetime and it is only ever made in the very best vintages. It is made in a style which Churchill himself favoured: robust, mature and long-lived.
Churchill's relationship with Pol Roger dates back to 1945, although he had
been a loyal customer as far back as 1908. At a luncheon given by the British
ambassador to France after the liberation of Paris, Churchill met the charming
and captivating Odette Pol-Roger and began a friendship, indulged by his wife
Clementine, which lasted until Sir Winston's death in 1965. Each year on his
birthday, Odette would send him a case of vintage champagne. In honour of
his friendship, Churchill named one of his favourite racehorses after her, and
made sure that she was invited to lunch at the British embassy every time he
was in Paris. Despite never actually visiting 44 Avenue de Champagne,
Churchill proclaimed it "the most drinkable address in the world". So close
was his relationship with the family that, on Churchill's death, Pol Roger put
black-bordered labels on the bottles destined for the UK. In 1975, Pol Roger
went one step further and named their prestige cuvée after him, making it in
the robust, mature style that he liked so much.
The exact composition of this Cuvée is a family secret but it is likely that
Pinot Noir dominates 70-80% of the blend with the rest being Chardonnay.
The grapes are all from Grand Cru vineyards which were under vine during
Churchill’s lifetime and it is only made in the very best vintages. The 1998
vintage shows all the hallmarks of a truly outstanding year with high natural
sugar content in the grapes and an excellent level of acidity indicating an
exceptional overall balance and long ageing potential.
Given its youth the wine still holds a lot in reserve but it has a masculine
structure and phenomenal length.
