Mumm has made Champagne in Reims since 1827, when the house was started by brothers from a German family. It now farms 218 hectares of vines and keeps around 25 kilometres of cellars under the city. The house says Pinot Noir gives Mumm its character, and the rosé shows it clearly: about 60 per cent of the blend is Pinot Noir, with 22 per cent Chardonnay and 18 per cent Meunier.
The pink colour comes from red wine. During blending, the cellar master adds between 12 and 14 per cent still red Pinot Noir to the Champagne base. That red wine gives the rosé its salmon colour and its berry fruit, which is why it smells of wild strawberry and redcurrant with a light lift of citrus.
On the palate it is fresh and slightly soft, with good length and small, regular bubbles. The red cordon is Mumm's signature, and it is now set into the bottle itself. Serve the rosé at 7 to 9 degrees as an aperitif or at lunch. It suits grilled fish, pan-seared scallops and grilled prawns, and it also works with a bowl of fresh raspberries and strawberries.