Champagne Pol Roger was founded in Épernay in 1849 and remains one of the last great houses still owned and run by the founding family.

Its cellars run some 33 metres below Épernay — among the deepest and coldest in Champagne. The low temperature slows the second fermentation, which is much of why these wines carry so fine and persistent a bead. Riddling is still done by hand.

Created at the request of the Churchill family and first released with the 1975 vintage, the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill is the house’s prestige bottling — made only in outstanding years, from a handful of the oldest grand cru parcels.

The brief was to build a wine in the style Churchill himself favoured: Pinot Noir dominant, robust and structured rather than delicate. The exact blend has never been disclosed, and remains one of Champagne’s better-kept secrets.

2015 was a warm, generous year in Champagne, giving wines of body and immediate charm without losing definition.

White flowers and ripe pear over toasted almond and a hint of honey; powerful on the palate yet held in check, with a silky mousse and a finish that goes on and on. A wine for the cellar and for the occasion.