Let it breathe a few minutes in the glass and Pol Roger's 2009 Brut Blanc de Blancs becomes truly exciting! Sourced in Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger (all grands crus from the Côte des Blancs), the wine opens with an intensely chalky, fresh and concentrated bouquet of white and yellow-fleshed fruits along with floral and spicy seed flavors as well as notes of wet, crushed limestone. Very deep but always pure and fresh. And so chalky! Full-bodied yet straight and fresh, with vibrating minerality and great finesse, this is a super elegant, tightly woven and persistent but weightless Côte des Blancs with a long, fresh and salty finish. This Cuvée was aged for seven years on the lees before being disgorged on May 30th, 2017. Tasted June 2018.

Well Pol Roger is never austere but this is one of their richer, more brioche-like wines. Really deep-flavoured but vivacious in terms of its persistent bead. I don't think I would immediately take it for a Blanc de Blancs blind, although I suppose it is more like a rich Chardonnay than anything you are likely to find from an avant garde grower during Champagne Week. Very expressive of this mellow vintage and definitely ready to enjoy. Very easy to drink without food. (JR)