Description
Pol Roger Cuvée Rich NV 750ml is the demi-sec Champagne from Pol Roger in Épernay, a sweeter style built on the same three-grape recipe as the house’s Brut Réserve. Equal parts of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay come from 30 crus, with about 25% reserve wine, and a dosage of 34 g/l is added after disgorgement.
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Serve it cold, at about 7 to 8°C, in a white wine glass. The house recommends it with desserts and sweet-savoury dishes, so think of a lemon tart, a fruit-based pudding or duck with a fruit glaze.
- Demi-sec Champagne, 34 g/l dosage
- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay in equal parts
- At least four years in the cellar
Deep yellow with a subtle copper shimmer and fine, creamy bubbles, the wine smells of dried fruit, flowers and woody scents, followed by delicate spice. The palate is ample, powerful and complex, with fruit and soft spice, and the sweetness is noticeable yet balanced by a fresh, long finish with a note of blond caramel.
Demi-sec sits towards the sweeter end of the Champagne scale, and the term refers to the amount of sugar added in the dosage, the small addition made just after disgorgement. At 34 g/l, this bottling is clearly on the sweet side, so it is better chosen for what it is rather than as a substitute for a Brut.
What keeps it from tasting simple is the base wine. The cuvée stays in the cellar for at least four years, with second fermentation and maturation 33 metres below street level, and the bottles are riddled by hand before disgorging. They then rest for at least three months before release, so the sugar has time to settle into the wine.
Within the blend, Pinot Noir gives structure and body, Pinot Meunier brings freshness and fruitiness, and Chardonnay adds aromatic complexity and elegance. Those qualities give the sweetness something to work against.
One for anyone who enjoys a sweeter style of Champagne, or who wants a sparkling wine to match the dessert course.
