Maison Mumm was founded in Reims in 1827 and is one of the largest houses in Champagne, with around 25 kilometres of chalk cellars running beneath the city. Cordon Rouge, marked by the red silk sash on the label, has been the signature cuvee since 1876. The Millesime is the vintage expression, made only in years the house judges strong enough to bottle a single harvest on its own.
Pinot Noir is the emblematic grape here, drawn from the Montagne de Reims and the Aube, and it drives the wine's structure and depth. Expect ripe white and yellow stone fruit, apricot and a tropical lift of lychee and pineapple, moving into vanilla, brioche and milky caramel from extended lees ageing, then dried fruit and honey on a long, fine-beaded finish.
Fruit comes from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites, with Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs and Meunier from the Marne and Ardre valleys rounding out the blend. The wine goes through full malolactic fermentation and is aged around five years on lees in the Reims chalk cellars, well beyond the minimum required for vintage Champagne, before disgorgement and a brut dosage.