Bid on this 3-bottle lot of 2008 Pol Roger Vintage Brut Champagne (94JG, 94JS, 92BH, 90DC, 90VN, 90W&S). James Suckling: "Attractive red berries, nectarines and biscuity notes with a hint of spice, too, and a sweet-smelling freshness to it. The palate delivers a very attractive and concentrated array of yellow stone fruit flavors. Smooth and creamy, sorbet-like finish. Drink now or age." (10/2017)
This lot contains the following items:
2008 Pol Roger Vintage Brut Champagne (qty: 3)
Attractive red berries, nectarines and biscuity notes with a hint of spice, too, and a sweet-smelling freshness to it. The palate delivers a very attractive and concentrated array of yellow stone fruit flavors. Smooth and creamy, sorbet-like finish. Drink now or age.
The 2008 Pol Roger Brut Millésime is a beautiful wine in the making, with the depth and structure to carry it far into the future, but also a wine that is strongly deserving of at least another five years in the cellar to truly blossom. The wine is a blend of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay, with all of the fruit hailing from grand cru villages on the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs. The wine spent eight years aging sur latte prior to disgorgement, but Pol Roger does not give information of the date of disgorgement or the finishing dosage. The bouquet on the wine is terrific, offering up a very complex blend of apple, white peach, a touch of fresh nutmeg, brioche, smoke, dried flowers and superb minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and absolutely rock solid at the core, with refined mousse, impeccable focus and balance, and impressive grip on the long and zesty finish. This is already easy to drink, but it is still a puppy and I would try to not touch a bottle for another five years.
A fresh, bright and overtly citrusy nose reflects plenty of yeast and floral characters. There is really lovely vibrancy to the refined and ultra-pure flavors where the supporting effervescence is equally fine. The lingering and well-balanced finish is drier than the reported dosage level would suggest and overall, this is lovely and still quite young.
Well integrated toasty, buttery, yeasty expressions are complemented by an overall youthful floral palate, lively citric acidity and a cool expression of fruit with great potential. (Panel Tasting)
Pol Roger's 2008 Brut Vintage is bright and energetic, but also tightly wound and not fully expressive today. There is good energy to the orchard fruit and citrus driven flavors, not to mention plenty of acid-driven persistence. I would prefer to cellar the 2008 for at least a year or two to see what happens. (AG)
Focused on pinot noir (60 percent) and supported by chardonnay, this wine has crunchy green-olive notes and autumnal red fruit. It shows the cool vintage in its salty mineral tang and firm mousse, a lifted Champagne to pour with rich fall dishes, like poached lobster over butternut squash purée.