The first pages of the fabled Mumm winemaking story were written long before the estate's founding in 1827.
The Mumm family lineage dates back to the 12th century and includes a long line of barons and knights. Their first foray into the world of wine was all the way back in 1761, when Peter Arnold Mumm set up a business as a wine producer and merchant. The initial company owned vineyards in the Rhine Valley; it wasn't until the early years of the 19th century that the family expanded to Champagne.
From the outset, quality was the watchword for the partners in this new entity, and it has remained so for all their successors. Their approach is encapsulated in the motto penned by Georges Hermann Mumm: "Only the best." Today, their vineyards cover nearly 218ha which are primarily planted with Pinot Noir, and are rated at an impressive 98% on the Champagne quality scale.
The house demonstrated its capacity for innovation almost at the outset, as well as its strong commitment to terroir - and this has not wavered through the centuries. The original founders set up its wine presses directly in the vineyards, and introduced a supply policy that was unprecedented at the time: purchasing grapes directly from growers in the finest vineyards, rather than unfermented juice. This approach allowed the company to verify grape quality, and to press the juice itself - as well as form genuine partnerships with growers, from who the house demanded 'only the best'.