Pol Roger Champagne: Churchill's Favourite, Explained for Collectors

Pol Roger is a family-owned Champagne house founded in 1849 and based in Épernay, France. It is best known as Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne and for Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, a Pinot Noir-led prestige wine made only in the finest vintages.

For collectors, it offers something rare: a great story, a precise house style and wines built for long ageing. Here is what makes Pol Roger special, which bottles matter most and why the secondary market pays attention.

Pol Roger at a glance

• Founded: 1849, by Pol Roger
• Home: Épernay, Champagne, France
• Ownership: Family-owned and independent
• Famous for: Its link with Sir Winston Churchill
• Prestige cuvée: Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
• First Churchill vintage: 1975, released in 1984
• House style: Precise, fresh and elegant, with long ageing potential

The history of Pol Roger Champagne

Pol Roger founded his house in 1849 and settled in Épernay in 1851. His descendants still own it, making Pol Roger one of the few grandes maisons that remain entirely family-owned.

Why was Pol Roger Winston Churchill's favourite Champagne?

Churchill's custom goes back further than most people realise: the first invoice the house holds for him dates from 1908. The famous friendship came later, at a lunch at the British Embassy in Paris on 11 November 1944, where the Pol Roger 1928 was served.

There he met Odette Pol-Roger, and the bond lasted for the rest of his life. She sent him a case every year, and he named a racehorse Pol Roger, which won at Kempton Park in 1953.

The black border on the label

When Churchill died in 1965, Odette ordered that labels bound for the UK be bordered in black. The mourning band appeared on the non-vintage Brut, known as White Foil, and stayed in some form for decades.

The creation of Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

The house turned that friendship into a wine with its first Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, from the 1975 vintage, launched in magnums only in 1984. The launch took place at Blenheim Palace, Churchill's ancestral home.

What does Pol Roger taste like?

Pol Roger makes classic, traditional Champagne: precise, fresh and elegant, with excellent structure. The wines are often restrained in youth, then evolve beautifully over time.

The cellars help explain that patience. They run 33 metres beneath Épernay, and even the non-vintage Brut Réserve spends at least three years there before release.

The key Pol Roger wines to know

Three wines give the clearest picture of the house, from its everyday benchmark to its collector flagship.

• Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill: a Pinot Noir-led vintage prestige cuvée, best for long cellaring and collecting.
• Blanc de Blancs: a vintage wine made from 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay, best for lovers of a fresh, elegant style.
• Brut Réserve (White Foil): a non-vintage blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay, and a consistent introduction to the house.

Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

This is the pinnacle of the range: a powerful, structured Champagne designed for long cellaring. The blend is a closely guarded secret, though the vintages Churchill himself drank were around 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.

Blanc de Blancs

This elegant vintage wine comes entirely from Grand Cru Chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs, including Avize, Cramant and Oger.

Brut Réserve

The non-vintage house style is a benchmark for consistency. It is blended from 30 or more base wines, drawn from several vineyards and vintages.

Is Pol Roger a good Champagne to collect?

Pol Roger is one of the more established collector Champagnes outside the very top tier of Dom Pérignon and Krug, and Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is the bottle collectors focus on.

Four things underpin its steady secondary market demand:

• Quality: a track record of exceptional wines in top vintages.
• Scarcity: relatively small production, made only in the finest years.
• Prestige: a clear position at the top of a respected house's range.
• Story: one of the strongest brand narratives in Champagne.

As with any fine wine, prices can fall as well as rise, and provenance and storage have a major effect on value. Treat this as general information rather than financial advice.

Pol Roger FAQs

Who owns Pol Roger?

Pol Roger is still owned by the descendants of its founder, which makes it one of the few family-owned grandes maisons in Champagne.

What Champagne did Winston Churchill drink?

Churchill's favourite Champagne was Pol Roger. He was a customer from at least 1908 until his death in 1965.

When was Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill first made?

The first vintage was 1975, and it was released in 1984, in magnums only.

What grapes are in Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill?

It is predominantly Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay. The exact blend is a family secret.

Why did Pol Roger put a black border on its labels?

The black border marked Churchill's death in 1965. It appeared on labels of the non-vintage Brut sold in the UK.

Does Pol Roger age well?

Yes. Remarkable ageing potential is central to the house style, especially in Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.