Mumm: Bubbly from France and Napa



By Kori ~ August 20th, 2014.

The Mumm family founded the G.H. Mumm champagne house in 1827. In 1876, as a tribute to some of their most prestigious clients, G.H. Mumm decorated a few of their bottles with a crossed red silk ribbon as a reference to the Legion of Honour. Today, G.H. Mumm is the leading champagne brand in France and the third best-selling champagne in the world. The Cordon Rouge Brut is their signature cuvee.

In 1979, G.H. Mumm set out to find an ideal winegrowing area in the United States. They picked Guy Devaux for the project. Devaux had more than 40 years experience crafting still and sparkling wines in France, South America, and the U.S. He was given one criterion from the Mumm family; find a terroir where he could create wine from traditional Champagne grapes using the method champenoise process. He chose the Napa Valley in California and established the Mumm Napa winery there in 1986. The Brut Prestige is their signature sparkling wine.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the NV G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut Champagne and the NV Mumm Napa Prestige Brut Sparkling Wine in a blind samples tasting. Both wines are very good and deliver serious bang for your buck.

NV G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut Champagne (Reims, Champagne, France): 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 25% Pinot Meunier. Small, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Pale straw yellow. Beautiful nose with apple and floral aromas. More apple as well as pear comes through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $45; Available elsewhere, $37 to $49

NV Mumm Napa Prestige Brut Sparkling Wine (Napa Valley, California): 51% Pinot Noir, 46% Chardonnay, 2% Pinot Meunier, and 1% Pinot Gris. Small, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Pale straw yellow with a faint pink tinge. Aromatic with apple and citrus fruit on both the nose and palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25; Available elsewhere, $15 to $21


Filed under: American Wine, California Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, French Wine, Sparkling Wine, Wines Over $25

Comments are closed.