Champagne is the result of a blend of wines from different grape varieties, plots and vintages. At the beginning of each year, different batches of so-called “clear” (non-sparkling) wines are blended before being bottled.
To find the perfect alchemy that will make an ideal blend, it is first necessary to select the juices obtained during the harvest. Depending on the exposure and soil of the plots, the same grape variety in the same village will have different characteristics. Depending on the year, it will then be a question of varying the origin and proportion of the grape varieties used in a blend to obtain the desired champagne. The vinification of these juices thus distinguished allows to exacerbate the qualities of each. As Magalie Maréchal, assistant to the Cellar Master, explains, “we vinify the musts in separate vats and using different techniques. In this way we can multiply the possibilities and create a very broad aromatic palette”. The latter constitutes the basis of the blending work.
The tasting committee of Maison Mumm is composed of five members around the Cellar Master. Each year, it evaluates and memorizes more than two thousand samples of clear wines, obtained at the end of the vinification process. Their tasting notes are used to compose the blends that are the signature of Maison Mumm. Each RSRV vintage responds to a particular expression, recognizable through the vintages. It is the talent of the committee to express this style through the still wines at its disposal. For each of the RSRV vintages, five blend projects are proposed, only one being selected collegially.
