In January 2018 - the Champagne House of Pol Roger situated in Epernay France - unearthed what has been described as a treasure of liquid gold. Finding a small number of the 1.5 million bottles that were covered by the devastating collapse of their underground wine cellars back on 23rd February 1900 - yes 119 years ago. Excavation work has been complex, due to the fragile nature of the wet clay in and above the collapsed cave. The workers at Pol-Roger could be described as archaeologists looking for and finding lost treasure.
The bottles of Champagne have remained trapped just 25m below the surface for more than a century - waiting for their liberation. Since the collapse in the year 1900, several generations of the family have tried to retrieve the entombed bottles.
But due to the dangerous conditions, failing with the technology of the time. But always thinking about them and wondering how many had survived unbroken and how had they aged in these unique conditions. The wine still resting on its own lees, trapped in wet clay and limestone, without air or noise and completely in the dark and at a constant 9.3°C for over 100 years.
But recently with modern excavating equipment a cavity in the collapsed structure was discovered during some exploratory core drilling work in early January 2018, reigniting the hope of finding intact bottles. Then on the 15th January a few bottles were able to be extracted with a mechanical arm - on inspection they were perfectly clear - Dominique Petit *(the now retired chef de cave) said: "...the wine level inside the bottles was correct, and the cork was still pressed tightly, which may explain why the wine inside seems so well preserved”.
This may also be due to the type of corks used at the turn of the 19th century, called pulling plugs, famous for their strength and durability, holding the cork into place with a sold metal staple - and having withheld the test of time. Also the bottles at this time were all mouth-blown, so another unique detail to this period and the handcrafted nature and quality of these fine wines - that were laid down by the founder himself Pol Roger (before his son’s Maurice and George changed their surname by deed-poll to the hyphenated Pol-Roger)
Due to the difficult conditions - only a few bottles had been retrieved in early 2018. Then some heavy rains delayed excavation attempts and some renovation work had to be undertaken on the unstable structure of the cellar walls and ceiling. At first, they found a lot of broken glass, but then one bottle on the first day, then 6 the next day, and then 19, before they had to stop. Then after some methodical examinations by underground excavation experts later in the year structural work was done and before Christmas a few more bottles were found, then a few more were found earlier this year in 2019 - until another small collapse has delayed efforts once more.
When the collapse occurred on the 23rd February 1900 is brought both heartbreak and near economic disaster for the Roger brothers who had just taken over the Champagne House from their father Pol in 1899. 5000sq meters of underground cellars - two floors in fact collapsed, burying 1.5 million bottles of their late 1890's vintages.
The collapse was coursed by unseasonal heavy rain that found its way underground to some weak limestone fractures and foundations and due to the volume and weight of the water - the ceiling collapsed, leaving a 4 metre deep hole on the surface. The two brothers first instinct was to build a tunnel under the house in order to rescue the precious bottles, however, they abandoned this idea when another cellar collapsed shortly after the first. Plus when a neighbour’s cellar also collapsed the following month, they ruled it was too risky and decided best to stop the hunt for the lost bottles.
Thankfully nobody was hurt during the original collapse. But in terms of champagne the loss was devastating as around 1.5 million bottles and 500 casks of the legendary Champagne had been buried. Instead, they built new cellars on Avenue de Champagne, and despite the setback, their house has gone from strength to strength. Being name - The World's Most Admired Champagne Brand in 2019 - by Drinks International Wine Awards.
Records suggest that the vintages buried were between the years 1887 and 1898. Many would have been destined for the UK, a key market for Pol Roger then as it is now. A fair few may well have ended up being enjoyed by Sir Winston Churchill, who ordered his first bottle of vintage 1895 Pol Roger back in 1908.
Speaking with Laurent d’Harcourt - CEO of Pol Roger - he had already tasted an 1892 vintage and found it had “amazing youth” if a little like an “old Burgundy”. “It had a little maturation, which I like” he said.
❝ So how do I fit into this incredible story - well this year on the 9th July 2019 - I was invited by the Pol-Roger family and Laurent d’Harcourt to visit the Champagne house. I have had the pleasure of visiting the home of Pol-Roger since 1993 - when I first met Christian Pol-Roger and we became good friends after putting me through some blinds tastings and correctly describing their wines.
So after a warm welcome from everyone in the morning and visiting their modern, fully renovated winery and stunning 7kms of underground cellars and talking through past and the upcoming vintage. We worked through a full tasting of their current range of Champagnes, before having a long lunch. Then in the afternoon we tasted the next vintages to be released before Christmas. As I was finishing-up some notes Hubert de Billy - (the son of Christian) and Laurent come into the room and closed the door.
Then in French they started to explain some safety issues that needed to be addressed to Pierre Samuel-Reyne - *(Export Manager & Ambassador for Pol Roger) and to myself. Which at first seemed odd, until they smiled and revealed a large metal door key - that I was soon to find out gave me private access of the family stairs down to cellar 23 - that arrives next to and in front of the old wrought-iron gate that has closed off all access to the collapsed cellars for over 100 years.
If I can attempt to explain how I was feeling at this stage - it was an emotional, sensory overload. Then everything went silent and all distractions that were on my mind before were completely gone. I was about to be in the same cellar and touch the Champagne bottles crafted and laid down by Pol Roger himself and his sons. The Pol-Roger family, Laurent, both chef de caves and a small number of engineers - only this select handful of people have had access into the excavated part of the collapsed cellars.
I had to remind myself to breath as I was making my way down the softly lit private brick stairs. Then like so many before we stood in front of those solid black gates looking through to the other side. But we stood there with the key (Pierre had not been past this point until this moment), and once the wrought-iron gate was opened - that we locked promptly behind us - it all became heart-stoppingly real.
Carefully I made my way through what can only be described as rich air, you felt yourself walking through history, and with each step and breath I slowly became at ease. Which could easily have been different, as we made our way into the deepest part of the excavation and through to the heavy construction steel supports, where another collapse had occurred only a few months before.
As you can see in the small number of photos in this article - quite a few intact full bottles have now been retrieved and sealed with a special wax to protect the cork and wine from exposure to different climatic conditions from the cocoon of wet limestone. This is literally bottled history at another level - and to be in the cellar where it all happened is simply incredible.
To have this level of access and to be in such a select group of people who have been allowed down into the cellar and be able to have this opportunity is more than humbling - simply overwhelming in fact. I am even today still processing the significance of this event and the emotions. This is one of the greatest moments - I can say that out loud and genuinely have an experience to share like no other - and that only a small handful ever will.
A very special heart felt thank you again to the Pol-Roger Family and Laurent d’Harcourt for your incredible generosity and friendship for more than 25 years. Along with the trust and respect always given. Until next time - best wishes to you all. And thank you for letting me 'sip, savour & share in your special journey…'.
To visit the Pol Roger Champagne website: Click Here: www.polroger.com