G.H. Mumm launches Cuvee R. Lalou 1999

Champagne G.H. Mumm launched its second vintage of Cuvée R. Lalou 1999 at a terroir-themed lunch at The Ritz London yesterday.

The prestige cuvée was served at six different temperatures, two degrees apart from 6-16°C, and in different glassware, to highlight the importance of temperature on the character of Champagne: the warmer the temperature, the more dominant the Pinot Noir in the blend.

“With the ’99 we’ve taken a double-pronged attack, taking grapes from 12 different old vine parcels, then blending seven of them”, G.H. Mumm’s cellarmaster Didier Mariotti told the drinks business.

Named after René Lalou – chairman of G.H. Mumm for over 50 years, the cuvée is a 50/50 Pinot Noir, Chardonnay blend made from twelve parcels from eight different grand cru villages including Aÿ, Ambonnay, Cramant and Avize.

“It’s difficult to talk about terroir in Champagne – we’re only just beginning to understand it. It’s a very young concept and we need time. At the moment in Champagne we think in terms of villages, but we need to go further – to go inside the villages and start thinking about the individual terroir”, Mariotti said.

Mariotti also hinted that the G.H. Mumm Blanc de Noirs, currently only available in very small quantities in France, might be coming to the UK in 2012.

“In a year-and-a-half we’ll be releasing the 2002 vintage, and there might be enough to allocate a small amount to the UK”, Mariotti said.

The original incarnation of Cuvée R. Lalou – René Lalou, was launched in 1966 by Lalou himself. Only nine vintages of the Champagne were released in its 25 year history.

Lucy Shaw, 10.02.2011