Ive been drinking some 02 and 08s (Brut and BdB) and cant help but notice the level of sweetness in the youngsters that I don’t get in other wines of the same vintages. Is that the house style? I know Pol Rogers are known to age very gracefully over the decades and wondering if this sweetness/richness when young is the key to longevity.
Haven’t tried the 08 yet, but I think you are right about the sugar gives champagne the extra aging ability. The sugar(dosage) and amino acid (from the lee autolysis) forms the Maillard reaction in Champagne which gives toasty bready aroma during aging. Of course there are a lot of other things that affect the aging potential of the champagne, but in this case, I guess that sweetness plays a huge role in the longevity.
What other wines are you trying? If you are having low/no dosage Champagnes then Pol Roger will taste sweeter. It’s more a standard Brut level.