New Release: Pol Roger Vintage 2019

This is the eleventh time Pol Roger has chosen to release a vintage in the 21st Century, and the 2019 is undoubtedly one of their best. It was also just the second vintage of the then-new Chef de Cave, Damien Cambres, who has swiftly established his reputation as a highly capable steward of this great house.

When tasting the 2018 vintage last year, we didn’t expect to see perhaps an even better iteration follow on its heels. Though the two releases share commonality in house style and overall quality, they are starkly different wines. 2018 saw a bumper crop, replete with ripe grapes, an open texture and a heady opulence and generosity, similar to the great 2002. 2019, by contrast, was a much smaller harvest and the wines are imbued with imposing fruit character, higher acidity and therefore more tension and edge – and perhaps holds the greater ageing potential of the two. Cut from a similar cloth to the brilliant 2008, this cuvee is a blend of 63% Pinot Noir and 37% Chardonnay, therefore, more Pinot than usual.

The wine is crystalline, fresh, detailed, lifted and very pure, redolent with red apple compote, lemon sherbet and quince. The mid palate is awash with redcurrants, sweet peach and luscious greengage plum. There is lovely weight and texture to the wine which has a chalky, saline, mineral drive, ginger spice and beautifully linear focus. It finishes with flaky apple strudel, frangipane and toasted almonds. This is vinous and intellectual but also supremely drinkable – an unexpected feat given its firmer structure and tension versus the 2018.

This is a great Pol vintage and undoubtedly a core part of one of the great Champagne triptych of vintages that is set to rival 1988, 1989 and 1990. It also looks like a relative bargain next to its peers and at £365 per 6 IB it is 10% cheaper than the 2018. This should be a no brainer buy for Pol fans.