Pol Roger, Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Champagne, France 2002

More about structural fascination than aromatic pleasure. With its high acidity and simultaneously rich and impressive depth, this is reminiscent of the heroic 1996, and is equipped to develop far into the future.

The lauded 2002 vintage often shows its weightier side at this level of maturity and this magnum obliges with decadent butter caramel, charry sourdough toast and dried raspberry aromas. There’s still a relatively youthful, fragrant precision here, though, with heaps of perfumed Pinot berry fruit still pushing through the sucrosity of the vintage and the post-disgorgement ageing. Rich, energetic and fine, this is open for business and far from showing signs of tiring. Tasted from magnum.