G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut (750 ml)

When Mumm installed a press house directly in its Verzenay Grand Cru vineyard in 1840 — decades before the practice became standard — it was making a structural argument: proximity to the vine matters more than convenience. That philosophy still governs Cordon Rouge today. 160 of the house's ~218 ha are classified Grand Cru, spread across eight villages including Aÿ, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Avize, and Cramant, all on the chalk-and-limestone soils of the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs — chalk that drains freely yet retains moisture, forcing deep root systems and delivering the taut mineral tension that defines the house style. The assemblage draws from 100–120 individual crus, blended as Pinot Noir 45%, Chardonnay 30%, Pinot Meunier 25%, with 25–30% reserve wine integrated at assemblage for depth and consistency. Each cru and variety is fermented separately in stainless steel at 18–20°C with natural yeasts; full malolactic fermentation is house policy; a portion of reserve wine is aged in oak vats before final blending. Lees aging runs approximately 2.5 years in chalk cellars beneath Reims — well above the 15-month NV minimum. The defining transgression: dosage is held at 6–9 g/L, significantly below the 12 g/L Brut category norm, a deliberate refusal to let sugar soften what the Pinot Noir-dominant terroir has already structured. The result is one of the drier Brut expressions among major Grandes Marques — taut, golden-fruited, and chalk-driven, drinking well on release and through the near term.