Pol Roger's just-released 2013 Brut Vintage is a beautifully chiseled, incisive wine that will appeal immensely to purists. Unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus zest, white flowers, crushed chalk and hints of fresh sourdoughs, it's medium to full-bodied, racy and precise, with a nicely concentrated and tightly wound core, tangy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. After the rich, muscular 2012 vintage, the 2013 represents quite a contrast; I'm not sure we'll see its stylistic like again for some time, so readers with classically inclined palates will want to stock up—advice I'll be following myself.
The Champagne House, which has been around for more than 150 years, is independent and run by the same Roger family, which has been working for generations to produce a Champagne for which every bottle is an ambassador of the Champagne House. To achieve this, the members of the Roger family select the trusted growers and the grapes they buy from them and are actively involved in the production process.