The Mumm Millésimé 2016 Champagne release where a Blanc de Noirs stole the show

I’m calling it now, the 2016 vintage of the Mumm Millésimé Champagne will be divisive.

That’s because this release, from an ultra-low-yielding and challenging vintage (punctuated by early frosts and late warmth), is just a bit vinous. Pinot-dominant and phenolic, it’s something that will age well, but the red apple angularity doesn’t scream ‘aperitif Champagne’.

But the real highlight of a lineup of Mumm Champagne tasted recently wasn’t that new at all – it was a dead serious back-vintage RSRV Blanc de Noirs.

I shouldn’t be surprised by this – Mumm is a red grape-focused Champagne house (a large house too, with 218 hectares under vine), with a history based around Verzanay (a Grand Cru Village planted to 85%+ Pinot Noir) on the Montagne de Reims (prime Pinot country).

Speaking of Verzenay, Mumm was one of the first to set up a press house in the vineyard (which helps process fruit faster and make fresher Champagne), on their Verzenay property back in the 1840s.

Another Mumm fun fact – G.H. Mumm famously travelled the world peddling his family’s Champagne, with twenty markets set up (including Australia and New Zealand) before the end of the 19th century. It all ended in tears, however, as the Mumm Champagne house was seized by the French government in 1914 during World War I, with only a portion of the business returned to the Mumm family post-war.

Before we look at some Champagne, it’s worth checking in with this 30-year vertical of Mumm Millésimé for some context. Then let’s dive in!

G.H. Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2015

It’s not hard to see the inspo with this Champagne, with the clear bottle and white label awfully Ruinarty. Hopefully, this wine doesn’t suffer from the same light strike problems, eh? All Grand Cru fruit for this Champagne all from Cramant. Only 4.5 bars of pressure, which is ‘the way of the Cellar Master’. 6g/L dosage, which is entirely reasonable for this style. It’s still quite generous and appley, with a gentle waxy appley profile. Lovely creamy apple fruit, creamed apple and custard apple flavour. Did I mention apples? It’s just a bit broad but plenty of flavour and softness, making it very drinkable, in a creamy and affable rather than precise form. Good.

Best drinking: nowish. 17.7/20, 92/100.

G.H. Mumm Millésimé 2016

From an ultra-low-yielding harvest. As ever, this is a phenolic Champagne, red apples, chewy red apples, taut, and the acidity feels very crunchy and appley. The rawness is somewhat persistent, making this a little sweet and sour. Will take some time to conquer, even if the lines are solid.

Best drinking: a year in bottle will work wonders. 17.5/20, 91/100+.

G.H. Mumm Millésimé 2008

Disgorged in 2015-ish. Fell apart in the glass, but a great start. This is nice wine, and probably in better shape than the last bottle I had three years ago. A little gold creeping in the colour, and a little aldehyde pn the nose, but lots of generous caramel and caramel apple with just the right amount of cut. Lovely complexity, with a fascinating bready weight to it. A refined and chunky mouthfeel. Just a little decay on the finish, which is less congruent, but much to like.

Best drinking: now. 17.7/20, 92/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV 4.5 NV

60/40 Pinor Chardonnay, four years on lees, five different Grand Cru. A candied and slightly simple wine. Apple and open citrus with a sweet and sour profile to it. It’s ok, if an indistinct wine, has some waxy marzipan layers but not complexity. Curious to see this with an RSRV label – it’s only just above Cordon Rouge quality.

Best drinking: now. 17/20, 90/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV Foujita NV

Rosé Champagne from six different Grand Cru vineyards. Coppery strawberry notes. Nice packaging. Nice red apple fruit to it – plenty attractive, if a bit of a light and singular wine. Pretty with a certain red apple juice generosity to it. Pleasant if simple.

Best drinking: now. 17.5/20, 91/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2018

Matured for 6 months in wooden vats, then 3.5 years on lees. All from Verzenay. Super vinous, and has some tight phenolics. Strawberry fruit to offset the grip, finishing still tight and shaped by acid pucker. It’s too young, like the 2016 above, which makes this look just a little lean. Could well be a winner in time as I feel the underlying structure is spot on.

Best drinking: hold for two years. 17.7/20, 92/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2014

Six years on lees (why almost double) and so much more complexity, with this toasty apple juice creaminess to it. A huge step up, a huge mouthful and the red appley acidity earlier in the palate really contrasts the richness wonderfully. Amazing how the creamed toast biscuity autolysis has such an influence, and every time I came back to this I liked it more and more.

Best drinking: now. 18.5/20, 94/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV Cuvée Lalou 2013

50/50 Pinot Chardonnay. 6g/L. 10 year of ageing. Honest and rather opulent, this feels very much like a grand cuvèe. Opulent is a great way to describe this – it’s broad brushed, nutty, leesy. An expected sort of wine: just a little obvious but a great mouthful. There’s a nice aftershave sexy time hints on the nose, then spiced apple and a layer of custardy lees. Grand enough. Maybe not the detail of that BdN though – there’s this extra nutty bluntness. Packed with classic Champagne charisma.

Best drinking: now. 18/20, 93/100.

G.H. Mumm RSRV Cuvée Lalou 2008

Lovely, opulent, and still fresh wine that has some nutty width, yet still slips in a green fruit note that isn’t quite there in the 2013. Super fresh still, manages to be punchy and powerful with some quite robust tangy phenolics. This is the top gear, even if I marginally prefer the 2014 BdN.

Best drinking: nowish. 18.5/20, 94/100.