Limited Stocks. Price £195.00. Tasting Notes: Th­e Pol Roger Brut Vintage 2009 is instantly appealing with its gorgeous lively effervescence. Fine bubbles sprinkled with silver glints carry a  fine persistent stream. Th­e nose, rich and elegant, opens up with delicate aromas of white fruit and apricot. As the wine warms in the glass, it exudes scents of white nectarines and quince jelly mingled with brioche and pastry fragrances. Th­e palate, extremely delicate and subtle, boasts a stunning balance on an opulent and creamy structure evolving towards dried fruit. It is a masterpiece of harmony. The Cuvée: The 2009 Brut Vintage from Champagne Pol Roger is made from the traditional house vintage blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from 20 Grands and Premiers crus vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Produced only in limited quantities the Brut Vintage 2009 has been aged for 8 years in cellars before being disgorged and released onto the market.   Vinification and Maturation: The must undergoes two débourbages (settlings), one at the press house immediately after pressing and the second, a débourbage à froid, in stainless steel tanks at 6°C over a 24 hour period. A slow cool fermentation with the temperature kept under 18°C takes place in stainless steel, with each variety and each village kept separate until final blending. The wine undergoes a full malolactic fermentation. Secondary fermentation takes place in bottle at 9°C in the deepest Pol Roger cellars (33 metres below street level) where the wine is kept until it undergoes remuage (riddling) by hand, a rarity in Champagne nowadays.   The very fine and persistent mousse for which Pol Roger is renowned owes much to these deep, cool and damp cellars.   The Story of the 2009 Vintage: After a particularly cold winter, spring 2009 started with fairly mild temperatures, permitting the vines to avoid frost damage. In spite of some storm spells, this suitable weather pattern boosted the vegetation. June and July were also affected by weather variations, but August became sunny, dry and hot, with cool nights, leading to a favourable and quick evolution in maturity. Harvesting started on September 8th in excellent sunny conditions and lasted till September 21st. Th­e grapes were then perfectly healthy. ­The 2009 crop is characterised by a potential average degree over 10% and a total acidity close to 7,5H2SO4 g/l.   Food Pairings: A pure delight of a Champagne to be savoured by itself or as an aperitif with foie gras on toasted brioche fingers. It is also the undisputed partner of rich dishes such as chicken supreme with chanterelle mushrooms or sweetbreads cooked with morels.   Grape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir 40% Chardonnay   Technical Information: Dosage: 7g/l Available: 75cl Bottle, 150cl Magnum, 300cl Jeroboam   Vintage According to Pol Roger: Champagne’s geographical location engenders capricious weather. For this reason, since their foundation in 1849 Pol Roger has observed the tradition of not releasing a vintage-dated champagne unless the climatic conditions permit the production of grapes of outstanding ripeness. A vintage champagne must, above all else, be a balanced champagne. ­This balance depends on the right blend of healthy grapes, a good potential alcohol and correct acidity. ­The first criterion for declaring a vintage wine is its capacity to age. Devotees who have the patience to age their champagnes are rewarded with a more complex and richer wine.   Background Information: Pol Roger, a Champenois from Aÿ, founded his champagne house in Epemay in 1849. Over the next 50 years, until his death in 1899, he built his business into one of the most respected in Champagne and, in particular, forged strong trade links with Britain. The founder was succeeded by his sons, Maurice and Georges, who changed their names to Pol-Roger by deed poll and, thereafter, by a further three generations of his direct descendants. To this day the company remains small, family-owned, fiercely independent and unrivalled in its reputation for quality   Pol Roger own 87 hectares of prime vineyard sites spread over the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de Ia Marme, the Vallée d’Epemay and the Côte des Blancs. This supply is supplemented by grapes purchased on long-term contracts with growers based on the best sites in the region. Total production at Pol Roger is in the region of 1.5 million bottles per annum, making them one of the smaller of the Grandes Marques.   The cellars extend some 7 kilometres beneath the streets of Epernay and are carved out of the local chalk over three levels, the deepest known as the ‘cave de prise de mousse’ at 33m below street level. As the name suggests this is where the wine undergoes its secondary fermentation in bottle. This deep cellar is at 9° or less, rather than a normal cellar temperature of 11-12°, thus prolonging this fermentation.   They are amongst the coolest and deepest cellars in the region, a factor which contributes to the famously fine bubbles in Pol Roger’s champagnes.