Brut Vintage 2012

Champagne Pol Roger


The 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 our cellars before being disgorged and released onto the market.

Vinification: 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 seperate. The wine undergoes a full malolactic-fermentation prior to final blending. 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.

Additional Information

The Brut Vintage 2012 boasts a delicate pale golden color glinting with silver reflections. Its refined elegant bubbles give rise to a steady persistence underlined by a fine and regular foam. Refined and subtle, the nose is full of freshness and opens to the scent of white fruits (peach). The first aromas are reminiscent of dried fruits, followed by enticing notes of flowers, gingerbread and mild spices mingling with fragrances of Viennese pastries. The mouth is characterized by a neat and firm attack over freshness. It reveals a nice balance between roundness and suppleness on a complex structure. The crispness of the citrus fragrances lingers throughout the aftertaste and enhances the aromatic range of spices and fresh white fruits (peach) already present on the nose. Excellent ageing potential.

Technical Details

  • Appellation: Champagne
  • Winemaker: Damien Cambres
  • Sustainability: Sustainable Practices
  • Alcohol: 12.5%
  • Dosage: 7 g/l
  • Pack Size: 12/750ml, 6/1.5L
  • Varietals: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

Recent Press

  • The Wine Advocate Author: William Kelley
    Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2021
    "Pol Roger's 2012 Brut Vintage continues to show very well indeed, offering up inviting aromas of citrus oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, peach, smoke, and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, layered and complete, it's deep and fleshy, with excellent concentration, racy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. I purchased this wine for my own cellar in magnum, and I can't wait to open them a decade from now."
    Grade: 94+ points
  • Score: 92 Points

    Vinous Author: Antonio Galloni
    Date: Friday, November 20, 2020
    "The 2012 Brut Vintage is radiant and super-expressive from the get-go. Apricot, pastry, baked apple and buttery notes wrap around the palate effortlessly. Soft and caressing, with tons of immediacy, the 2012 is quite showy today. More importantly, it is delicious and also very easy to like."
  • Score: 89 Points

    Vinous Author: Antonio Galloni
    Date: Friday, January 3, 2020
    "The 2012 Brut Vintage is an attractive, open-knit Champagne that captures the richness and ripeness of the year nicely. Baked apple, wild flowers, mint and brioche give this tasty, inviting Champagne much of its is immediacy and overall appeal, I would prefer to drink it over the next handful of years. Disgorged: February, 2019."
  • Forbes Author: Michelle Williams
    Date: Friday, December 13, 2019
    Every Celebration Begins With Champagne -- "60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay; classic and elegant, citrus, stone fruit, flowers, marizan, pie crust; fine perlage, lean."
  • Score: 93 Points

    Wine Spectator Author: Alison Napjus
    Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2019
    "Fine and creamy, with a delicate frame of mouthwatering acidity, this harmonious Champagne offers well-meshed flavors of yellow plum, biscuit and grated ginger. Floral, spice and mineral accents mesh with the finish. Drink now through 2027. 500 cases imported."
  • Score: 96 Points

    Wine Enthusiast Author: Roger Voss
    Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
    "This rich, full-bodied Champagne is a classic from this producer. Its richness is emphasized by ripe Pinot Noir that dominates the blend, typical of the house style. A blend of grand and premier cru wines from across the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs, this wine will age much further. Drink from 2022."
    Grade: Cellar Selection
  • Score: 94 Points

    JamesSuckling.com Author: James Suckling
    Date: Monday, September 2, 2019
    "Harmonious and straight with clarity and beauty to the wine. Cooked-apple and light honey aromas and flavors. Full body. Such balance and creaminess to the texture and weight. Lovely now."

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