Mumm delivers a new world of flavours

You need to make sure you are buying the right Mumm when you step into your local bottle shop.

G. H. Mumm & Cie is a Champagne House that was founded in 1827 in Reims.

Famous for its Cordon Rouge label, Mumm is one of the largest Champagne houses and is owned by Pernod Ricard.

 
The Mumm brand has expanded over the years, however, with iterations from California, Tasmania in Australia and New Zealand - with wines from both Marlborough and Central Otago.

Australian wine drinkers can now sample sparkling wines from all four countries with the arrival of Mumm Napa Prestige Cuvée under Mumm Terroirs collection label.

Mumm Napa Prestige Cuvée is crafted from a blend of 49% pinot noir, 46% chardonnay, and small amounts of pinot gris and pinot meunier by head winemaker Tami Lotz.

All the fruit comes from the Napa Valley, about 80km north of San Francisco: a region renowned for its diverse soils and microclimates.

Kristy Rutherford, marketing director for Pernod Ricard Australia, said: “We’ve seen the remarkable growth of super premium sparklings from the new world in the last few years.

"Mumm Marlborough Brut Prestige reached shelves in 2020, followed by the popular launch of Mumm Tasmania in 2022, and more recently the expansion into Central Otago with the Mumm Central Otago Blanc de Noirs and Mumm Central Otago Pinot Noir."

I thought the Napa Valley sparkling was well made with definite brioche-like intensity on the palate. It is very food friendly.

“The US has been in love with Mumm Napa sparklings for 40 years now, and we are thrilled to welcome Mumm Napa Prestige Cuvée to the Terroirs collection in time for the Australian summer season,” Rutherford said.

It would be a great choice for a wine options game but at $45 I think a lot of Australians will prefer the more elegant Tasmanian option.

Mumm Napa Prestige Cuvée is available now at Vintage Cellars, Liquorland, First Choice and independent liquor stores nationally.

Mumm releases a still table wine

Here’s a weird one.

Mumm is one of the highest-profile Champagne Houses and has recently begun making sparkling wines in prime regions around the world.

But now Mumm is releasing a still wine - a Central Otago pinot noir, the first table wine crafted for the Mumm Terroirs collection.

The Mumm Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 is the second release in the Mumm Terroirs collection from the New Zealand South Island wine region, following the inaugural release of its sparkling Mumm Central Otago Blanc de Noirs NV in 2023.

Made from 100-percent hand-harvested pinot grapes from the Lowburn sub-region, it is matured for 16 months in French oak.

Mumm’s New Zealand chief winemaker Jamie Marfell said: “We’ve long worked alongside grape growers in the sub-regions to recognise the best vineyard and sites and the 2021 vintage provided us with excellent conditions and fruit to produce this wine.

“Creating a fine wine rather than a sparkling wine, speaks to the pioneering and innovative nature of this collection which is dedicated to showcasing pinot noir. at its pinnacle of quality in the bottle.”

The new release will join the Mumm Terroirs collection, which celebrates wine regions including Northern Tasmania, Marlborough, Central Otago and Napa in California.

Mumm Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 is available now for an RRP of $80 in selected Australian venues, and online at vntnr.co.

I’ll let you know when I’ve tried it.