‘Full, generous and voluptuous’ is how 5th generation family member Hubert de Billy describes the 2015 vintage of Pol Roger. Having decided against declaring 2014, the house was far from anxious about the flamboyant 2015 season, which managed somehow to combine periods of humidity with such intense mid-summer heat that there was almost a drought. Hubert describes the September conditions, however, as ‘a perfect dream scenario’ for harvest and the best fruit from 20 key grand and premier cru villages was earmarked for this wine. Six and a bit years down the track and there is little to challenge such confidence. This is indeed a very fine Pol Roger, finesse, complexity and signature Pol pedigree writ large all over its beaming face. Lively gold with a silver aureole and small, elegant bubbles, the 2015 seduces immediately with its welcoming sunny disposition, spring flowers, citrus fruit and hints of brioche all conspiring in the seduction scene. This is, if anything, accentuated on the palate, with Viennese patisserie, soft honey and hints of frangipane and nougat all tempting the senses. Beneath it all classic Pol Roger harmony, every component playing its part and not a hair out of place. Dignified and regal on the finish, the 2015 manages both to excite with its sheer vivacity and reassure with its composure. Disgorged: September 2021. Dosage: 7 g/L. Simon Field MWSimon Field MW. February 2021.

Pol Roger's 2015 Brut Vintage is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of golden orchard fruit, nectarine, warm bread, buttered popcorn and orange oil. Full-bodied, broad and vinous, it's rich and fleshy, with a sweet, layered core of fruit, racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse. Stylistically, the 2015 has more in common with the richness and concentration of 2012 than the chiseled raciness of 2013. It's a beautiful bottle in the making.

The deeply fragrant nose comes with lemon and orchard fruit profile, enhanced by a lovely toast and burned match undertone. The year’s typical vegetal austerity can be noticed on the palate, but the wine’s great fruity intensity and well-balanced vinosity compensate beautifully. Little tight at first, time in the glass greatly benefits it bringing constantly out new, delicious layers. May 2023.

The 2015 Brut Blanc de Blancs marries textural intensity with a good deal of freshness. White pepper, dried herbs, chalk, mint and citrus make a strong opening impression. I especially like the energy and tension here, but there’s plenty of depth, too. I would give the 2015 a year or two in bottle, maybe more, as it is quite reticent in the early going. It, too, is seriously impressive for the year. Disgorged: July 2021. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. March 2022.

An extremely difficult to judge wine as there is softness and richness from the beginning, but the acidity is a bit low and the aroma is a bit limited. Experience still suggests that this type of mammoth vintage develops very well with Pol Roger, so the question is how high we will end up in ten years or more. May 2023.