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."
Wine Information
The history of the terroir
A rich crop, healthy grapes and an ideal balance of sweetness and acidity in 1998 made for a highly promising harvest, echoing those of 1992 or 1985! Racy and subtle, the vins clairs seemed to many to possess the potential to age well. All the conditions were thus in place for the creation of a classic Cordon Rouge vintage champagne.
The elaboration
The best grapes were carefully selected and separately fermented and bred. Less than ten crus received this special treatment, the elite of the villages of the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. Predominant amongst them were the Pinots Noirs (69%), the distinctive signature of the House style. It took time to reveal this bounteous gift of Nature. The wine was left patiently to mature on the lees for 6 years. When it was deemed ready, a low dosage (8g/l) was added to bring out the wine’s inherent character. For all these reasons, G.H.MUMM Millésimé has a good ageing potential, one that can be kept in the cellar for 10 years or more.
Vintage 1998
This year's harvest is the largest the region has ever seen. Every corner of the appellation has managed to achieve the maximum authorized harvest yield of 10,400 kilos of grapes per hectare. Producers were also allowed to harvest an additional 2,600 kg which was allocated to the Champagne reserve, called blocking. This led to 330 million bottles of champagne being made in total. The lock-in system (which allows more production than necessary to meet demand) was the main tool for maintaining a stable price level in the 1990s.