Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut 1964 – The monumental elegance of a Jeroboam
In the history of Champagne, there are vintages that become legends and bottle sizes that defy the imagination. The Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut 1964, in the rare 3,000-millilitre Jeroboam size, combines both in a way that leaves even seasoned collectors and connoisseurs in awe. This is not merely a larger bottle of the same wine, but a phenomenon in its own right: The slow maturation in such a large volume alters the wine’s chemistry, slows down oxidation and endows the champagne with a texture and youthful vitality that a standard bottle would have long since lost after six decades. Opening such a bottle is no ordinary pleasure, but a historic event, an encounter with the essence of one of Champagne’s most distinctive and enduring maisons.
The House of Pol Roger: Consistency, British nobility and the art of long ageing
The history of Pol Roger is a story of steadfast independence and uncompromising quality. Founded in 1849 by the then 18-year-old Pol Roger in Aÿ, the house relocated its headquarters to Épernay just two years later, where it remains to this day. To this day, Pol Roger remains one of the few great Champagne houses still owned by the founding family, with its fortunes steered directly by the descendants of Pol Roger. This continuity is the key to a style that has been cultivated across generations and is characterised by a rare combination of power, finesse and an almost British reserve.
The close connection to the United Kingdom is an integral part of Pol Roger’s identity. The house has always been held in high esteem by the British aristocracy and the Royal Family. The legendary British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was such a devoted admirer of this brand that he once described it as ‘the most delicious address in the world’ – a tribute that the House still honours to this day and which led to the creation of the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill in 1975. This historic connection has also shaped the house’s style: Pol Roger was one of the first houses to produce a drier style that catered to British tastes, thereby laying the foundation for its reputation as a champagne of exceptional precision and longevity.
The deep, cool and damp cellars in Épernay, 33 metres below ground level, offer the ideal conditions for the slow, patient ageing process that is so characteristic of the house’s fine and persistent mousse. The very fine and persistent mousse for which Pol Roger is famous owes much to these deep, cool and damp cellars. The 1964 Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut is the result of this philosophy: a blend of around twenty Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards, carefully selected to ensure the balance of power and elegance typical of Pol Roger. The Pinot Noir grapes from the Montagne de Reims provide the structured foundation and dark fruit, whilst the Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs contribute elegance, freshness and a delicate mineral character. Following traditional bottle fermentation, this wine matured for nine years in the house’s cellars before being disgorged – an exceptionally long period of ageing on the lees for that era, which lends the wine its creamy texture and complex brioche and nutty aromas.
The 1964 vintage: a hot, dry summer and the birth of a great vintage
The year 1964 was a year of extremes and late decisions in Champagne, yet it produced a wine of remarkable greatness. The weather conditions were characterised by a very hot, dry summer, which produced grapes of a richness and concentration rarely seen. Flowering quickly reached full bloom but was then delayed by a cool spell; at the same time, millerandage and chlorosis affected fruit set, causing losses in certain regions. The harvest began on 16 September in rainy conditions, but continued under hot, sunny conditions and concluded with excellent grapes in good sanitary conditions. The average yield was a very high 9,100 kg/ha, which was high for white and red wines, whilst the average for Meunier remained quite low and irregular.
The 1964 vintage is now regarded by connoisseurs as a wine of remarkable depth and complexity, which has transformed its initial austerity and reserve over the decades into a mature, multi-layered harmony. In Champagne, the vintage is regarded as one of the finest of the 1960s, even though it is often overshadowed by the legendary 1961. As a contemporary review aptly noted, the 1964 lacks the refinement of the 1961 and the elegance of the 1962, yet it possesses a grandeur and stature that have allowed it to develop, over time, into a gentle, mature wine. The wine was already regarded as exceptional shortly after the harvest; even before the harvest began, the French Minister for Agriculture spoke of a ‘vintage worth announcing’ – a sign of the extraordinary potential that was recognised even back then.
The Jeroboam: A format that redefines time
With a capacity of three litres, the Jeroboam is the equivalent of four standard bottles and is one of the largest and rarest formats in Champagne. Yet its significance extends far beyond mere volume. In such a large bottle, the ratio of liquid to oxygen is significantly more favourable than in a standard bottle: oxidation proceeds much more slowly, and the wine can retain a youthful freshness and vibrancy for decades – qualities that a 0.75-litre bottle would have long since lost. This slowed maturation is the reason why large formats are so sought-after amongst collectors and connoisseurs: they offer a unique insight into the development of a wine that, in a smaller bottle, would have long since passed its peak.
The 1964 Jeroboam described here is a particularly remarkable example. An auction lot description from 2025 describes it as ‘1 Jeroboam 1964 Pol Roger Vintage Champagne, Cuvée de Réserve’ with an ‘outstanding colour’ and a provenance from a private collection that was ‘carefully acquired and meticulously stored’. This provenance is crucial: a Jeroboam of this age, stored under optimal conditions – consistently cool, dark and vibration-free – can offer a sensory experience that eclipses even the finest standard bottles.
The sensory experience: a mosaic of wildness, maturity and minerality
Tasting a Jeroboam-sized bottle of Pol Roger 1964 is an experience of rare complexity and depth. The visual impressions vary depending on the fill level and storage conditions, but the finest bottles display a colour described as a deep, luminous golden yellow with amber highlights. The perlage may be calmer and finer in the glass than that of a young champagne, yet it possesses a captivating elegance and persistence – a sign that the mousse is still alive even after six decades.
The nose is the first major highlight of this Champagne and reveals a complexity that defies simple categorisation. One of the few detailed tasting notes on this specific wine comes from the renowned critic Richard Juhlin, who awarded the 1964 Pol Roger 94 points and chose a highly unusual description: He described it as ‘full of action from the doctor’s surgery’ with ‘iodine, vitamin and game-like qualities’, which lent it an ‘insane sharpness’ and made it ‘a little wild and crazy’, whilst its ‘vitamin qualities’ were ‘superb’ and its palate ‘long, dusty and meaty’. This description is remarkable, as it paints a picture of a wine that does not display the classic, fruit-driven elegance of a mature champagne, but rather an almost archaic, mineral and meaty complexity reminiscent of great old Rieslings or even certain wines from the Jura. The ‘iodine’ and ‘vitamin’ notes are typical of old champagnes that have developed pronounced oxidative ageing, whilst the ‘wildness’ and ‘sharpness’ suggest remarkable concentration and structure.
Another auction description, quoted by the Wine Advocate, adds a further facet to this picture: ‘A classic ’64 with more body than the elegant ’66. The finish is truly excellent. It has a creamy aroma and a density that one rarely encounters’. This description emphasises the wine’s creamy texture and density – characteristics that are likely to be particularly pronounced in a Jeroboam, as the slow ageing process favours the integration of the mousse and the development of the texture. However, *Wine Advocate* also notes a certain degree of caution: “Unfortunately, certain bottles show signs of fatigue.” This warning must be taken seriously with a wine of this age and rarity, and it underlines the importance of provenance and fill level.
On the palate, the true greatness of this wine unfolds. The ‘long, dusty and fleshy’ texture described by Richard Juhlin is the result of perfect ageing and careful blending – an echo of the concentrated fruit, the mineral structure and the decades of patience spent in the cellar. The texture is creamy and velvety, almost oily, yet the wine is permeated by a lively acidity that prevents it from becoming heavy in the slightest. The aromas of white fruits, white flowers and sweet spices found in younger vintages of Pol Roger have evolved in this bottle into a deeper, spicier and more mineral complexity. The finish is exceptionally long and lingering, with a persistent mineral note that lingers on the palate long after the last sip.
The reviews: a chorus of praise
The reviews for the Pol Roger 1964 reflect its exceptional quality and its ability to win over even seasoned critics. The Tastingbook platform, which aggregates ratings from dozens of professional critics and thousands of users, awards the wine 93 Tb points and lists it amongst the world’s top 1,500 wines. The Wine-Searcher platform shows a rating of 91/100, as well as a range of 95–100 points from other sources. Richard Juhlin, one of the world’s leading champagne experts, awarded 94 points and described the wine in his typically very personal and vivid language, which emphasises the uniqueness of this vintage.
These ratings make it clear that the 1964 Pol Roger – whether in a standard bottle or a jeroboam – ranks among the house’s greatest successes in a challenging decade. The fact that a jeroboam of this wine still turns up at auctions decades after bottling and is sought after by collectors is further proof of its exceptional longevity and its significance as a collector’s item.
The art of ageing and the right moment
A wine of this age and calibre demands careful handling and the right timing. The advice from experienced tasters is clear: the wine should not be served too cold, so as not to numb its complex aromas. A temperature of around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius is ideal. Careful decanting is not strictly necessary, but it can help to separate any sediment and allow the wine a brief aeration without overwhelming its delicate aromas. It is best enjoyed from a classic champagne tulip glass or a versatile white wine glass that concentrates the complex aromas.
With such an old champagne, the question of the ideal drinking window is always a snapshot in time. The tasting notes show that a well-stored bottle can still possess ‘lovely length’ and ‘lovely balance’. The wine has reached a plateau in its maturation, which it is likely to maintain for a few more years before gradually losing some of its freshness. Anyone lucky enough to own such a bottle should therefore open it in the near future to experience it in all its full, complex splendour. The Jeroboam offers the invaluable advantage that, due to its larger volume, the wine ages more slowly, thus providing a unique opportunity to savour a Champagne that might already have become tired in a smaller bottle.
Conclusion: A quiet triumph of Champagne in a monumental format
The Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Brut 1964 in Jeroboam size is no loud, opulent show-off. It is a wine of subtle nuances, which does not flaunt its greatness but conceals it within a deep, multi-layered complexity that only reveals itself to the patient connoisseur. It combines the resilience of a hot, dry vintage with the steadfast craftsmanship of a house that has stood for consistency and quality for over 175 years, and the unique advantage of a large format that redefines time. Tasting a bottle of this wine is no everyday pleasure, but a privilege and a journey into the past – a tribute to the art of patience, which allows great champagnes to reach their full potential only in the cellar, and to the foresight of those who, decades ago, bottled a Jeroboam, knowing full well that they were creating a liquid monument for eternity. In its ability to transform the extremes of its vintage into a radiant, complex harmony, the Pol Roger 1964 stands as a shining testament to the timeless magic of Champagne and a worthy representative of the grand, understated elegance of a bygone era.
