Texture, taste and terroir
A recent dinner with Maison Mumm put texture in the spotlight, as it encouaged diners to take a fresh look at its RSRV range.
Champagne and fine dining are natural partners, especially when presented in a Parisian setting.
Yet Maison Mumm, hosting a dinner in Paris to celebrate its RSRV range, went further than most in exploring the relationship between the two. Subtitled 'L'esprit des terroirs' (or 'a sense of place') it was billed as a tasting experience hosted by three experts.
Cellar master Yann Munier represented the house to present his premium Champagnes. Wine expert and consultant Cyrille Tota helped guide guests through the complexities of each wine. Chef Hideako Sato crafted six courses to accompany the four wines in the RSRV range.
Bold Gastronomy
Hideako Sato is the head chef at Ta Vie in Hong Kong, which attained its third Michelin star in 2023. He is also the inaugural RSRV Gastronomic Global Ambassador. In that role, he collaborates with the house to promote its wines in fine dining settings.
He is known for combining a number of different influences. Although raised in Japan, the first 10 years of his culinary career were spent cooking in a classic French style. He then pivoted to Japanese cooking, and has since embraced a variety of cuisines in Hong Kong, a city of considerable diversity and a global hub. He even spent downtime during the Covid pandemic perfecting his Peking duck recipe.
That multifaceted approach matches Maison Mumm's approach to cuisine. "We're quite exploratory," explains Marie de Vries, global marketing director of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët.
For instance, the house has set up a restaurant, La Table des Chefs, in the heart of Reims. Based on the concept of an artist's residency, it invites a new, highly accoladed chef to take charge several times a year. Sato has just taken up the residency.
Naturally, the restaurant prioritises Mumm RSRV in the pairings. The house's Champagnes always serve as the aperitif, and sommeliers often make unexpected pairings, for instance with a richer main. However, the wine list (curated by Raimonds Tomson, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023) stretches well beyond Champagne. The entire experience is a paean to the joys of fine wine and haute cuisine.
Sato presented a six course meal to pair with the RSRV range. With foie gras, oyster, lobster and peaches all featured, it was evidence both of his skill and the range's versatility.
Rediscovering Texture
"The texture we feel eating Chef Sato's food is the same we have when we taste."
- Cyrille Tota -
Sato's food was not the only bold choice at the dinner. Wine expert Cyrille Tota guided the attendees through the four RSRV cuvées with a focus on his 'toucher du vin' process.
Using a specially designed tool, Tota instructed attendees on a tasting technique that flips conventional wisdom on its head. While many wine tasting techniques place ultimate focus on aromas, his method places texture at the centre of the tasting experience.
The elegant leather-bound tool provided the diners with a number of fabrics, each selected for a distinct texture. They were instructed to take the wine into their mouths and assess the texture. By simultaneously feeling the fabrics against the palm and between the fingers, the diners could then propose which fabrics each wine felt most like. This then facilitated ascribing adjectives to each wine's texture, building a far more nuanced evaluation of texture than might otherwise be achieved.
For instance, after discussion with the group, Tota suggested a pair of fabrics that might summarise the RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2012. The satin represented a soft, gliding quality to the wine's texture, while the taffeta spoke more to its smooth yet firm attributes.
Again underlining Mumm's exploratory approach to cuisine, Chef Sato included in each course an 'edible texture'. These morsels, each a small edition to the dish, challenged diners to evaluate texture as much as flavour during the meal. In both wine and food, texture was offered as a focus. By bringing textural similarities to the fore, the meal made the case for unusual pairings, such as the rich yet bright RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2009 with a zesty grapefruit and tomato salad with burrata and basil oil.
Texture from terroir
The textural approach to a tasting was particularly important to Yann Munier, appointed earlier this year as Mumm's cellar master. Texture can often be overlooked in Champagne, but it is a key element of the wine.
It is certainly given due focus in the team's winemaking. For instance, Mumm uses comparatively low amounts of sugar in the liqueur de tirage for its RSRV Blanc de Blancs. This limits the second fermentation, creating lower pressure in the finished wine and a softer mouthfeel.
Moreover, Mumm's different terroirs have varied effects on the wine's textures. That is especially true for the RSRV range, for which six grand cru villages provide grapes. The RSRV Blanc de Noirs uses only Pinot Noir from Verzenay and the RSRV Blanc de Blancs is produced with Chardonnay from Cramant. The RSRV 4.5 and the RSRV Rosé Foujita use the other four grand crus to create harmonious blends.
The RSRV range sources its grapes from six grand cru villages across the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.
Verzenay
Featured in: RSRV Blanc de Noirs (100%), RSRV Cuvée 4.5, RSRV Rosé Foujita
The frank Pinot Noir from this village has intensity, elegance and a notable tension thanks to the cooler north-facing slopes.
Bouzy
Featured in: RSRV Cuvée 4.5, RSRV Rosé Foujita
The southeast facing slopes of the village mean vines have greater exposure to the sun. Pinot Noir sourced from Bouzy can therefore bring fruitiness and breadth to the blend.
Ambonnay
Featured in: RSRV Rosé Foujita
Pinot Noir from Ambonnay's sunny slopes produces a still red wine, blended to add the pink colour, as well as fullness and black fruit aromas, to the RSRV Rosé Foujita.
Äy
Featured in: RSRV Cuvée 4.5, RSRV Rosé Foujita
With relatively steep south-facing slopes, the Pinot Noir of Äy contributes ripeness and richness to a blend.
Cramant
Featured in: RSRV Blanc de Blancs (100%), RSRV Cuvée 4.5, RSRV Rosé Foujita
The particularly chalky soils in Cramant accentuate the fresh, delicate qualities of Chardonnay, both in the soft Blanc de Blancs and as part of blends.
Avize
Featured in: RSRV Cuvée 4.5, RSRV Rosé Foujita
With many east-facing slopes on chalky soils, the Chardonnay of Avize can bring steely texture to a blend.
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