Pol Roger Reserve Brut NV (Champagne)

When I'm looking to splurge a little, this has become my go-to Champagne. I’ve had it a few times recently as well so I thought it was worth writing up. You can pick it up for around $55-$60.

A champagne that is creamy, yeasty, mouthfilling, and has great effervescence. Beautiful citrus and red fruits. There’s no questioning the crowd pleasing capabilities here. Nevertheless, it remains balanced throughout, and is underpinned by a lovely acidity. Finishes long and dry. It perhaps lacks the complexity for a higher score, but for sheer Champagne joy it’s hard to go past.

Rated:

   

RRP: $70
Closure: Cork
Website: www.polroger.com



Red

Celebratory Champagne for my first child – Billecart Salmon - 1998 Nicolas Francois Billecart Cuvee

My wife and I welcomed our first child into the world last week. It has been an amazing time since then, and a distinct lack of sleep seems to be barely an issue when you hold a newborn in your arms (though I’m sure that will be tested once I return to work).

The celebratory Champagne I bought for the occasion was the 1998 Nicolas Francois Billecart Cuvee from Billecart Salmon. I’d perused wine shelves and websites to see what Champagne would meet the occasion. In this wine I found a great producer and cuvee from a highly regarded vintage, and importantly it weighed in at a relatively reasonable price of $140 (most rationale people wouldn’t consider $140 for a bottle of champagne reasonable, but in the realms of top quality vintage champagne it is far less than you might pay for other marques).

Opening this with my family I was very glad I made the effort to point this away from anyone in the room, as the cork hit the roof like a rocket, which in itself somehow seemed appropriate for such an occasion, and now there is a permanent mark in the roof of the Prince of Wales hospital that signifies the birth of our son.

Given all that as background, it might sound like a funny thing to say but this wine snuck up on me. It’s certainly not an overtly rich and powerful champagne that immediately grabs your attention, and as the conversation flowed around the family while gazing at the newborn I was rather distracted, and it wasn’t until I was more than halfway through my glass that it dawned on me that I was drinking a damn fine champagne. Elegant and refined, with a great purity of fruit, this champagne has plenty of complexity with flavours of brioche, citrus, and flowers. There is a savoury/saline profile that takes over from the mid-palate that makes it so drinkable and a great foil for the oysters and sashimi we had on the day. It drives through to a lengthy finish that is marked by a refreshing minerally acidity. Cork permitting this will live for many years, with all elements of the wine in perfect balance. Great Champagne. 4.5 Stars

The next act will be to look at birth year wines from the 2012 vintage . . . Eden and Clare Valley Riesling will likely be my first port of call.


Red
 
 

Red's Xmas Wines

Time with family, gorging on wonderful food, and imbibing great wine. That is what Christmas is to me and it’s a time of year I always look forward to. This year has been no exception.

Jacquesson Cuvee no. 734 Champagne – Disgorgement 2 quarter 2010 – Drinking beautifully with fine acidity, strawberry fruit, and a beautiful creaminess. Power and finesse.

2006 Franck Bonville Blanc de Blancs Champagne – A nice change up from the Jacquesson and of equal quality. More taut and with more prominent acidity. Lovely citrus and yeasty flavours. Great length.

Both Champagnes were a hit and while different, people generally found it difficult to split the two

2008 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling – not sure if this is a representative bottle as it was surprisingly developed and forward, compared to when I had this a year ago. The toast, honey and kero that often come with an aged Riesling were already apparent on this occasion. As such it was actually drinking beautifully, having moved into a more generous stage of its life, and was consumed with great gusto. I will be interested to see what future bottles bring to the table

2009 Freycinet Pinot Noir – the great thing about this wine is that it works for both pinotphiles and punters. Around the table at Christmas lunch it was universally enjoyed, and yet undoubtedly this wine had the balance, length, and inherent complexity to age beautifully. Enticing aromas of dark cherry, spice, and forest floor lead to a generous yet refined palate that doesn’t let up through a long finish. Loved drinking this, and envisage loving my other bottles over the next decade. With succulent Turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce it was just the ticket.

2006 Charles Melton Grains of Paradise – I’ve had a lot of great Barossa Shiraz of late, that finds that balance between the inherent power it brings to the table and a sense of restraint and elegance, and personally I’m loving it. This is yet another example. Relatively medium-bodied within its style, there is an intoxicating cedar and spice to this wine that really won me over. Beautiful fruit flows through a long finish. Superb.

Morris Cellar Reserve Grand Liqueur Muscat – liquefied dark chocolate. Yes it’s much more than that, with some lovely nutty notes providing some balance, but the overall impression is one of complete decadence. It went wonderfully well with a plum pudding, and afterwards I needed a nap . . .



Red