The Story
THE CREATION
The best batches are carefully selected, vinified and aged separately. Only some ten crus deserve this special treatment: the very best villages of the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Among them we find a predominance of Pinot Noir (64%) which marks the House’s style. Time is needed to reveal the fullness of Nature’s bounty. Ageing on the lees is patiently continued for five years. When the wine is judged to be ready, the dosage with a very low sugar content of 6g/l brings it out without altering it. For all these reasons G.H.MUMM Millésimé is a wine for laying down, that can be kept in a cellar for some ten years.
WINE TALK: OVER TO THE CELLAR MASTER
"The nose reveals the fine and rich complexity of this wine, starting with notes of apple and pear as well as yellow fruits such as apricot or plum, followed later by the aromas of dried fruits and nuts with some notes of pastry. After a strong attack the finish is well-defined and long."
Vintage 1976
This sunny and hot drought year with record heat levels across Europe led to a very early harvest, which began on September 1st. Large yields (averaging 10,359 kg/ha) of super ripe fruit produced rich and powerful champagnes, although relatively low in acidity (averaging 7.2 g/l). The acidity levels made some winemakers doubt the wines' longevity but this has since been proven wrong by a multitude of majestic 1976 Champagnes defying time. The style is unashamedly ripe, big and even fatty with plush fruitiness. By no means ‘classic' in style but nevertheless great and a forefather to the warm vintages we are experiencing now. Bollinger R.D. 1976 from magnum for example, is something to behold. Other magnificent cuvées include Philipponnat Clos des Goisses, Dom Pérignon Brut and P3, Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque, Piper-Heidsieck Rare and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.