2012 Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2012 is a perfectly composed and balanced Sir Winston Churchill. This outstanding vintage offers immense elegance and finesse, along with the wine's characteristic gravitas and depth. The nose is initially fresh and fruit-driven with lemon oil and curd, grapefruit pith and tangerine, and ripe juicy apples and pears. With air, layers of pastry and toasty notes come through – crème pâtisserie, vanilla bean and salted caramel shortbread. With power and tension, and a superb backbone of acidity and minerality, this nevertheless has a confident, easy structure. It has wonderful vinous depth and weight, yet remains elegant throughout. Superb.
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Richer and fleshier than the 2013, the 2012 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill offers up aromas of ripe citrus and orchard fruits mingled with buttered toast, hazelnuts and confit peach. Full-bodied, layered and gourmand, with an enveloping core of fruit, excellent depth at the core and a pretty pinpoint mousse, it remains harmonious and precise despite its broader-shouldered format.
Magnum. More caramel and toffee than the 2013, with green apple and a bit of fresh-cut herb. Powerful and full, with great length and volume – yet despite that intensity, there is plentiful tone of voice. Perhaps less saline than the 2013, but with more candied character and definitely more persistent. (RH)
Pol Roger's flagship Brut Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is fabulous in 2012. Rich, open-knit and seductive, the 2012 will drink well right out of the gate, although it certainly has the pedigree to age well for decades. Lemon confit, chamomile, dried flowers, mint, spice and a kick of brioche infuse the 2012 with notable textural richness and resonance. Time in the glass brings out gorgeous aromatic lift to round things out. The 2012 is classy and polished all the way.
About the producer
Pol Roger is one of Champagne’s most respected Grandes Marques. While it is best known undoubtedly for its prestige cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, it also produces one of the finest non-vintage bottlings on the market.