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What We Say 2004 Barrel Reserve Blanc de Blancs
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
Today’s sparkling wine is an exemplary bubbly that is the perfect compliment for your coming holiday celebrations.
WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE ALERT:
Want to purchase today’s wine? Unless you can make it to Mumm, the only place to purchase it is right here and today only! Don’t miss out.
SECRET SAVINGS ALERT:
Subscribe to our Daily Dispatch (above) and you’ll always know what our Top Secret coupon code of the day is. Every day we issue a new members-only code that entitles you to have Ground Shipping included and, sometimes, an added discount!
Mission Codename: Barrel of Fun
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: In time for our Operatives’ holiday celebrations, send Agent Red back to Mumm Napa to procure a special winery-only bubbly
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Mumm Napa
Wine Subject: 2004 Mumm Barrel Reserve Blanc de Blancs
Winemaker: Ludovic Dervin
Backgrounder: For today’s selection, we sent Agent Red to our dear friends at Mumm Napa, in search of an exclusive sparkling wine – just in time for our Operatives Holiday celebrations. He returned, victorious, with Mumm’s spectacular, winery-only 2004 Mumm Barrel Reserve Blanc de Blancs. Read Agent Red’s detailed tasting notes and mission report below.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Each pour of this bubbly produces the most energetic and sustained cascade of mid-sized bubbles that we have ever seen in a sparkling wine. The wine shows gorgeous pale golden hues and the bubble are so energetic that they cause tiny fountains to leap from the surface as the bubbles pierce the top of the wine.
Smell – Green apple, golden delicious apple and fresh Meyer lemon are the lead notes in this aromatic bubbly. These are soon joined by soft acacia, honeysuckle and subtle birch bark, with hints of custard, yeasty bread dough and zest.
Feel – Crisp and delicate, even with the larger bubbles. The wine moves easily across the entire palate, without the expanding plume sometimes found on sparkling wines. Instead, this wine maintains a smooth and consistent feel as flavors and soft minerals move around the palate in dynamic fashion.
Taste – Fresh and delicious, leading with green apple, mixed citrus of lemon, subtle mandarin and a hint of lime. These are followed by soft white flowers. Creamy lemon curd and custard with vanilla and a hint of mocha all make tail-end appearance as well.
Finish – Long and flavorful, with creamy, crisp citrus, white flowers and vanilla. Soft minerals and subtle mocha appear at the tail end.
Conclusion – This is a fantastic and delicious sparkling wine, and we are lucky to have such a special relationship with Mumm Napa. This wine is usually only available at the winery itself and we are thrilled to be the only wine merchant to make this wine available outside of the winery. The wine is delicious and exciting, with a unique look and unique mouthfeel that makes it all the more inviting and fun to drink. A perfect bubbly for your most special holiday gatherings, be sure to take home enough of this vintage delight to see you through the new year – and beyond!
Mission Report:
With so much happening at the winery, these days, we were unable to secure an interview with Ludovic Dervin, today. Be sure to check back again, during our next mission with Mumm, for another complete interview with Ludivic.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The gorgeous Rutherford, California location of the Mumm Napa winery and vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Mumm Napa Valley
About This Wine:
A Winery Exclusive release, bottled after 6 months of aging in French oak.
The exceptional Chardonnay harvest in 2004 allowed our winemaking team to age a selection of lots in French oak barrels following the primary fermentation. After spending six months on the lees in the barrel, it was bottled and began second fermentation in the bottle (méthode traditionnelle).
This Mumm Napa take on the French classic opens with a deep golden hue and fine effervescence. It greets the nose with distinctive notes of lemon curd, vanilla and orange blossom. The mid-palate is full bodied and complex with honeycomb, the spice bouquet of French oak and toasted brioche. Consider pairing with aged cheeses, wild mushrooms sautéed with chicken over pasta, or carmelized onion, blue cheese and pear flatbread.
This wine was crafted for sparkling wine aficionados who like a lot of power and depth in their wines. Atypical from the style of the other sparkling wines crafted by Mumm Napa, this 2004 Blanc de Blancs Barrel Reserve is a bold attempt to create a Chardonnay sparkling wine aged for 6 months 100% in old French barrels (3 to 8 years old) before secondary bottle fermentation. This wine displays some of the typical chardonnay aromas of lemon custard, golden delicious apple, and white plums. But it also exhibits strong and well integrated oak spices of vanilla, nutmeg, fresh hazelnuts and roasted almonds. Over 3 years of yeast aging brings out a nice layer of biscuit and bread dough aromas to the wine. A very crisp and refreshing acidity, with a round supple mouth feel lingering to a very long and powerful finish. This wine already displays a great intensity and a long finish, and will age beautifully for several years, with the expected addition of white mocha, honeysuckle and toffee flavors. Great by itself for a toast, it will also be a wonderful companion to densely flavored dishes, such as poultry game food or a spicy Risotto. It can also live up to a platter of intensely flavored cheeses.
Vintage Notes: One of Mumm Napa’s earliest harvests, the 2004 Vintage season started with a triple vineyard pick for sparkling wines on July 26. The excellent quality delivered to our presses that day was just a small taste of what the year had to offer. 2004 could most likely be one of the top 3 vintages in Mumm Napa’s 26 years of history.
With a very early bud break during an unusually warm month of March, our vineyard crews feared frost damage for weeks, but Mother Nature cooperated with a mild weather during the entire growing season. Fruit set was fairly even, with yield within average on chardonnay and slightly below average on Pinot Noir.
The ripening season was also dominated by a nice and moderate weather pattern, leading to a slow and even flavor development.
The fruit harvested in 2004 had great flavor concentration and an exceptional acid structure, forecasting and outstanding aging potential.
Thanks to the terrific work of our crews in the vineyards and winery operations, we managed to process all our grapes at optimum natural ripeness levels, turning them into wonderful wines with notable richness and complexity.
About The Winery:
The Wine Enthusiast Magazine calls Mumm Napa one of “America’s Best Tasting Rooms. How do you decide where to end the day in Napa Valley? Go to Mumm.”
Enjoy table service outside on the terrace, or taste in our glass-enclosed tasting salon – each offering stunning views of the surrounding Rutherford vineyards.
While you are here, take a guided tour of the winery, stroll through our Fine Art Photography Gallery or browse for exclusive Napa Valley items in our wine shop. Any way you look at it, a visit to Mumm Napa is the highlight of your Napa Valley experience.
About The Winemaker:
Winemaker Ludovic Dervin – In Summer 2002, Ludovic Dervin was named Winemaker at Mumm Napa. Ludo brings to the position extensive experience in both sparkling and still wine production, along with an exceptional working relationship with V.P. Winemaking and Operations Napa Valley, Rob McNeill.
Boasting a thorough understanding of méthode champenoise production, Dervin completed his winemaking studies in his native Champagne, France, His skills were then refined during several harvests with the prestigious Champagne houses Charles Heidseick and G.H. Mumm, as well as California’s Piper Sonoma, where he first worked with Rob McNeill. Prior to joining Mumm Napa, Ludo polished his non-bubbly winemaking skills at the world-renowned Russian River wineries, Hartford Court and Gary Farrell.
Technical Analysis:
Appellation: 100% Napa Valley
Base wine Varietal make-up: 100% Chardonnay
Barrels: 100% barrel aged in older French oak barrels for 6 months.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Total Acidity: 10.6 g/L as tartaric acid equivalent
pH: 2.90
Residual Sugar: 0.95% (Brut Style)
Cases produced: 2,058
