Throughout Pol Roger's long history, many aspects of the company have changed, however, the House has always held to its core values: family, independence and an uncompromising attitude to excellence. Pol Roger has always been noted for vintage wines, which express the magic of a particular time and place.
Champagne's geographical location engenders capricious weather, and the effects of climate change have only made this unpredictability more pronounced. Since 1849, Pol Roger has committed itself to releasing a vintage-dated Champagne only when the climatic conditions permit the production of grapes of outstanding ripeness and wines with a capacity to age. Complex and rich, the Brut Vintage 2016 is such a wine.
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17+ points - Jancis Robinson
Very tight, dense nose with some honey and orange notes on the palate. Already very drinkable with the acidity not especially noticeable, although presumably it will gain in aromatic complexity with bottle age. I found it less than enthralling when I first tasted it and gave it a score of 16.5 but when I was served a glass blind from my re-stoppered bottle a few days later, I was impressed. So is the lesson, don't rush your pleasures?
Drink 2023 – 2030
93-95 points - Essi Avellan MW
The 2016 vintage resulted in happy surprises after all the numerous viticultural challenges the year brought about. Pol Roger Vintage shows an enticing combination of lush, ripe fruitiness combined to vibrant, energising acidity. The nose greets you with a charming tone of burned match and butter biscuits. Beyond, it comes with a mélange of both crunchy and sun kissed orchard fruit, sweet honey and fragrant orange blossom notes. On the palate it is equally fulfilling in its immediate appeal and juiciness. This is a generous and overt, aromatically sound vintage ready to please, yet it comes with muscle and intensity that rewards midterm ageing. 93 points with potential for 95.
Tasting note from Pol Roger
The wine opens with a bright, elegant and charming nose which is distinctly Vintage Pol Roger in style. Alluring aromas of lemon peel, tarte au citron and freshly baked madeleines present themselves. With time in the glass, more savoury earth aromas such as roasted hazelnuts and marmalade develop, showcasing the many layers of complexity of this Champagne. On the palate, the wine has a firm backbone of acidity, balanced with the characteristically rich, broad Pinot Noir for which Pol Roger is known. A wine to be enjoyed now, and over the next decade or longer.
After a mild and dry November and December, 2016 began with record rainfall and sporadic sunshine. To make matters more difficult, a cold fortnight in mid-April delayed bud break and pushed the flowering of the vines back a full ten days beyond the average of the past decade. These difficult conditions culminated in a few episodes of hail in July but were ultimately resolved by a warm and sunny August.
Low rainfall allowed the soil to dry out and the grapes to mature relatively quickly. That said, ripeness varied widely plot to plot, necessitating pinpoint accuracy at harvest. Four of the past six harvests have taken place in August, as temperatures in the region increase. The 2016 harvest was more of a classic vintage with picking not beginning till the 10th of September.