So the lunch continues with … G.H. MUMM ‘CUVÉE R. LALOU’99 …
Cuvée R. Lalou is G.H.MUMM’s tribute to terroir creator René Lalou, an emblematic figure who presided over the House from 1920 to 1973. The Cellar Master has adopted a bold approach in creating this prestigious wine, selecting grapes from among twelve legendary Grand Cru locations in the heart of G.H. MUMM’s vineyards.
G.H. MUMM ‘R .LALOU’ 1999 | Reims | Champagne | Frankrike | G.H. Mumm | 50PN 50CH | Swedish importer: Pernod-Ricard Sweden | SBnr 77822 | SB 1 200 sek
TASTING NOTE ‘After having given no sign of life since 1985, this fine old brand has now reappeared in a lovely new form with the 1998 vintage. One can see that they have concentrated hard on creating a super-cuvée de prestige from the absolutely best locations in Champagne. Avize and Cramant as well as Verzy, Ambonnay and Bouzy for Pinot Noir. The whole lot from 7 sites. The storage is almost 9 years in the cellar and the style is beautifully polished and seductively, mellowly elegant. The aroma bears witness to white peaches, lime blossom, vanilla and caramel. The flavour is fantastically mellow without forgoing any of its elegance. A bull’s eye in a refined form in comparison to earlier issues. This Champagne is recognizable by its rich, juicy fruit and melon-like aftertaste.’ RJpoints 93(94)
RJ ON VINTAGE 1999 *** of *****
Regardless of how the wines were going to turn out, it was already predetermined that this vin- tage would become historic and much sought after. Imagine yourself toasting the upcoming New Year’s Eve with foaming wine made from grapes from the last Millennium’s last harvest. It happened to be that the forces of the weather were on the Champagne wine growers’ side, and in a similar manner as occurred in 1982, the quantity and quality succeeded by going hand in hand. In terms of style, there are many talking about something between a 1982 and the super-rich wine of 1989. The grapes’ matu- rity level was astounding, and the only thing that worries me a bit is the low content of malic acid. From the 1989 vintage, only the wines that are a product of careful wine making and careful selection have lived up to the vintage’s hyped reputation. Most likely, this is also the case with the 1999s. Bollinger argues that 1999 brought a very uneven vintage of which the difference in quality among grand cru and premier cru and other villages are even more pronounced than usual.
Today, the vintage feels like a slight disappointment and has been surpassed by the quality of the 1998s. Several growers, like Paul Déthune and Larmandier-Bernier, show the front feet, but both Louis Roederer’s Cristal are hard to beat, delicious morsels.
