Pol Roger, Champagne (France) 2008

Pol Roger is a widely known and admired Champagne house, but at the higher end of their offerings, the famous Winston Churchill cuvée gets most of the attention.  That’s entirely understandable if you’ve ever been fortunate enough to taste that wine, but this vintage blanc de blancs bottling is sensational in almost every vintage in which Pol Roger chooses to make it, and I’ve tasted 20 year-old examples that were still fresh while showing mind-blowing levels of complexity.  This 2008 rendition seems capable of attaining that level of excellence when fully mature, but I’d bet that not many bottles of it will reach old age, as it is already quite expressive and delicious.  The aromas show perfect balance of yeast- and fruit-based notes, and that balance follows through on the palate as well.  Neither overt nor austere, it is a beautifully symmetrical wine, and the mousse is quite energetic but still very fine in texture.  A great wine, to be sure, and the only question is whether you’d prefer it early on for all of the frothy fabulousness that it is showing at present, or whether you’d trade that for the amazing intricacy that it is sure to show with additional ageing.