Joanna Simon explores a novel method of wine tasting that focuses on texture rather than scent.
By Joanna Simon
Introducing a unique sensory journey that emphasizes the texture of wines influenced by their specific terrains, the evening commenced traditionally at a dinner hosted by a three-Michelin-starred chef featuring Champagne Mumm RSRV.
The event started with an apéritif, RSRV Cuvée 4.5 in magnum, enjoyed on a rooftop terrace at the elegant and secluded Hotel Pourtalès in Paris on a pleasant summer evening. This was followed by brief presentations from the chef and RSRV global gastronomic ambassador Sato Hideaki, along with Mumm’s new cellar master Yann Munier, who is open, engaging, and instantly likable, accompanied by Cyrille Tota from Le Toucher du Vin, which translates to the sensation of wine on the palate or its texture—a concept Cyrille describes as the “goût approach” to tasting now being introduced across 60 wine and catering schools in France.
Next, we went indoors to be seated for the tasting and dinner. Chef Sato talked briefly about how food and wine should involve all the senses, emphasizing that dining should transcend merely the taste and smell. He reminisced about a mentor who believed that hands were better instruments for eating than any utensils. As I looked at our table, equipped with standard cutlery, this seemed initially to be a reassuring nod to tradition. However, the experience that unfolded was anything but traditional.
Soon, I found myself unwrapping a hefty, black leather bundle, caressing an array of distinct black fabrics fastened within, akin to leafing through a tactile book. Each texture was to be felt, pinched, and stretched individually. The task evoked childhood memories of games like pass-the-parcel, where the goal was to guess the hidden contents through touch. Engaged in this fabric exploration, each guest meticulously followed suit, responding to our curious instructions. As I was seated alongside Cyrille Tota, my commitment to the activity was particularly focused.
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After exploring the different textures, my final challenge was to sip the RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2012 and correlate its feel to two of the fabrics based on their textures. “Consider the thermic sensation,” prompted Cyrille, while Yann discussed the exclusive use of grand cru Cramant chalk in the sparkling wine, imparting a distinctive freshness and minerality. He noted that Mumm achieved this with a precise carbonation pressure of 4.5 bars, a nod to its Crémant de Cramant antecedent. Cramant indeed plays a pivotal role in the wine’s unique profile.
It was easy to eliminate two fabrics at the outset: the velvet and felt were obviously too thick and warm. This left us with three choices: a cool, soft satin-silk, a voile, and an airy gauze fabric. Was the silk the right choice, embodying the coolness required? Indeed, its softness mirrored the wine’s freshness and refinement. Still, two remained to be matched, bearing in mind to consider minerality—a quality not exactly tactile, but significant nonetheless. The voile had a fine, gritty feel yet retained a smoothness, whereas the gauze was overly coarse, not suitable to represent the smooth, luxurious texture of Cramant.
The task was briefly satisfying, but it was just the beginning. Another set of five dark fabrics awaited, prepared for the same procedure, this time correlated with RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2009. This wine, made exclusively from Pinot Noir from the cool, clay-limestone hills of north-facing Verzenay, is noted for its structure, body, depth, and freshness.
Skipping detailed descriptions, we discerned that the silk taffeta and wool crêpe best represented this Blanc de Noirs. The silk taffeta captured the wine’s refreshing quality and its refined, gentle finish, as described by Yann. The wool crêpe, meanwhile, exemplified the body and structure of the mid-palate.
Although absorbing these insights, I found it challenging to ignore the wine’s scents—struggling especially when smells were accidentally caught and needed to be disregarded. The emphasis on tacit attributes led to a questioning of the triviality accorded to aromas in wine tasting. Later, I conversed with Cyrille on this topic. He pointed out that focusing primarily on aroma can mislead, as it shapes 80% of our wine perception, which while suitable for generic and varietal wines, dilutes the distinctiveness of terroir-focused wines. In his view, as he explained, wines truly reflective of their terroir constitute merely 5% of global wine production. His explanation resonated, shedding light on the complexity of wine tasting far beyond its bouquet. terroir wines, indeed, represent a small but significant fraction.
I pondered on the role of tannin. Apparently, it’s significant in determining whether a wine feels rough, grainy, or smooth, yet not so much in terms of its matière or density,” observed Cyrille. And the effervescence in drinks? “Indeed, bubbles do play a crucial role. They modify texture,” particularly noting the larger bubbles found in some crémants and cavas, he remarked. In contrast, he mentioned, “In still wines, it revolves more around the thickness.”
Maybe I’m overthinking it. Cyrille perceives that over the next five years, the focus will shift from flavor—the goût approach—to tactile impressions. Could this involve literally touching the wine? While I struggled to maintain clarity on the concept, the exploration itself was immensely enjoyable.
It’s not just Mumm that’s deeply exploring texture in Champagne production—Dom Pérignon also engages in this method with its still wines, yet Mumm is pushing this boundary even further with its five RSRV Grand Cru Champagnes. Released as a series in 2018 and 2019, they target the high tiers of the on-trade market, though they aren’t entirely new. Each originates from the Mumm family reserve, a collection of limited produces historically tagged as RSRV in the cellar books and kept for a select group of insiders.
When Yann Munier was vetted for the cellar master position at Mumm, unknown to him, his predecessor, the highly esteemed Laurent Fresnet, had been driving forward a new, texture-first method in Champagne tasting and assessment. Unfortunately, Laurent’s untimely demise in March 2023 prevented any transition period for Yann, who began to grasp the textural focus during the gradual transition phase prior to formally joining in April this year.
Some of those who delve deeper into Champagne by feeling rather than smelling have been influenced by climate change impacts on the wines. However, Laurent started to pay attention to texture after recognizing the absence of a universal scent language. When showcasing Mumm’s Champagnes internationally, he discovered that scents are perceived differently or even unnoticed in various nations. For instance, where a New York sommelier might describe red wine as having hints of cooked meat, bacon, blackberry preserves, plum, and vanilla, in China, the description would shift to Chinese sausage, salted pork, dried hawthorn, persimmon, and pine nuts, as outlined in Cork Dork. a New York sommelier and China might provide such varying descriptions. Focusing on texture, notably in the RSRV Champagnes, circumvents these disparities. Yann was intrigued by this concept and chose to explore it further.
I wish to further discuss Yann, who certainly wasn’t the most conspicuous candidate for the prestigious chef de cave role at Mumm. He wasn’t the oldest at 44, nor had the broadest experience. His background includes studies in agronomy and agricultural engineering (UniLaSalle) and enology (University of Reims). He commenced his career at the Covama cooperative (Champagne Pannier) in 2005, with a stint at another cooperative, Nicolas Feuillatte, between 2012 and 2017 before eventually leading as chef de cave and then moving to Mumm.
Beyond mere facts, Yann brings a lot to the table, including his personality: no airs, no pretense. On the surface, he appears calm, unbothered, equally attentive to people and his craft. Within just three months of his new role, he was already co-hosting a complex tasting and dinner event in Paris—the first of its kind for Mumm.
Another significant advantage for Yann is his deep connection to the Champagne region. Born in Vitry-le-François and the third generation in a family of grower-winemakers, he still takes part in the family domain, producing its own Champagnes in addition to supplying grapes to houses, including Mumm.
Just a week before Sato Hideaki commenced his chef residency for the summer and autumn at Maison Mumm’s La Table des Chefs in Reims, a memorable dinner set the stage. This marked the first occasion for an international chef to preside over the kitchen here, and also the first time chef Sato was to create an exclusive menu outside of his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Ta Vie in Hong Kong.
At this event, titled L’Esprit des Terroirs or “Sense of Place” by Mumm, Chef Sato introduced six unique dishes, showcasing his signature French-Japanese culinary style that integrates Japanese ingredients with French culinary techniques. Initially, the meal was to be accompanied by two selections from the RSRV line, specifically the Blanc de Blancs and the Blanc de Noirs. However, after reviewing the menu, the Mumm team expanded their pairing to include Cuvée 4.5 and Rosé Foujita for the concluding courses, saving Cuvée Lalou for a future event.
RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2012 (magnum)
Dishes featured included a poached oyster with a mellow oyster shell, draped in white butter sauce and adorned with Oscietra caviar, alongside mussels paired with white asparagus and pasta, all in a blanc de blancs sauce.
Derived from Mumm’s Chardonnay vines in Cramant’s chalky soils, owned since 1882. Held under 4.5 bars pressure, disgorged in January 2019, with a dosage of 6g/l.
The texture is creamy and almost buttery matched with a crisp mineral essence and citrus zest, accompanied by fragrances of ripe orchard fruits like apples, pears, and mirabelles. This wine expertly melds ethereal elegance and precision with a luxuriously soft sensation. | 93
Accompanying beurre blanc and Oscietra caviar, the poached oyster includes sliced celeriac resembling a “soft oyster shell”, along with spinach, mushroom duxelles, and a celeriac-and-rye crêpe. Sato recommends enjoying all elements together, creating an easy task. The dish layers umami with buttery depths, sharpness, and freshness, balancing saltiness and textures from slippery to softly crunchy. It beautifully highlights Cramant’s freshness and elevates the apple notes and minerality of the wine. However, the combination with mussels, asparagus, pasta, and a creamy Champagne sauce – enriched with button mushroom and shallot – particularly accentuates Cramant’s rich creaminess and succulent fruit flavor. Remarkably, the meal began with each of us feeling a personal square of raw pasta.
RSRV Blanc de Noirs 2009 (magnum)
Grapefruit and tomato salad, burrata cheese, basil oil; Foie gras, Pinot Noir crisp
Pinot Noir from the argilo-calcaire of Verzenay (where Georges Hermann Mumm bought the first vineyard in 1840) in the hot, dry, sunny 2009 vintage; disgorged in March 2019; dosage 6g/l.
Very slight peach tinge. Powerful, structured, and richly aromatic, with vanilla brioche and smoky spice, together with apricot and rhubarb notes giving sweet fruit and freshness. Generous and expansive, but with a steeliness running through to a long finish. | 94
The salad—grapefruit, fresh and dried tomato, Thai basil and Thai basil oil—was a disc on top of burrata and some grapefruit meringue, but I had a grapefruit-free version (someone has to be grapefruit-intolerant), and I may have been better off. Cyrille urged us to think about the texture of the soil and to concentrate on our salivation, but even so, the grapefruit was probably an ambitious taskmaster for the ripe Pinot Noir. The foie gras terrine marinated in ratafia de Champagne emphasized the density, structure, and complexity of the Pinot, while slivers of beetroot and apple, raspberries, and a Pinot Noir-inspired sheet of beetroot, apple, and raspberry emphasized its freshness. The sheet was just a tiny bit sweet, but it worked with the rosé when taken with the foie gras, as intended.
RSRV Cuvée 4.5 (magnum)
Featuring blue lobster, whelk, burdock, and blue-foot mushroom
This champagne is composed of 60% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ, and Bouzy and 40% Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize, combining five of Mumm’s top grand cru vineyards. The primary vintage is 2015, and it was disgorged in March 2023 with a dosage of 6g/l using a liqueur sourced from the same vineyards.
The richness of the mature 2015 harvest’s Pinot Noir contributes body, balanced by a crisp tension and intertwined with flavors of salty sourdough bread, coffee bean, and zesty honeyed citrus. Exquisitely harmonious balance. | 92
It’s the combination of depth and liveliness that makes this cuvée work so well both as an apéritif and with the wonderfully umami and texturally complex lobster, whelk, and mushroom dish—Japanese whelk, blue-foot mushroom (including as mushroom chips), burdock root (gobo), on a buttery sauce made from the juice of all the ingredients. It’s hard to choose, but this was perhaps my favorite pairing, together with the mussel dish and the Blanc de Blancs.
RSRV Rosé Foujita (magnum)
White peach and blanc de noirs mousse
Base-wine blend as for RSRV Cuvée 4.5 (60% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Aÿ, and Bouzy; 40% Chardonnay from Cramant and Avize), with red wine from another Mumm grand cru, Ambonnay. Base year 2012; disgorged March 2019; dosage 6g/l.
No holding back on color here: deep pink. And no holding back on the palate, either: generosity, vinosity, succulence, and billowy texture. Strawberry and cassis, vanilla cream and shortcake notes and delicately mineral, lively freshness. | 94
This is a rosé that would be comfortable with many savory dishes—from salmon, through to game birds—but even with its glorious fruit, it’s not for me an obvious dessert wine. I don’t subscribe to the view (held by Cyrille Tota among others) that rosé Champagne always goes with red berries. The jellied peach and raspberry compote with blanc de noirs mousse—Chef Sato’s playful take on peach Melba—was light, delicately intense, and not overly sweet, but I didn’t feel it quite hit it off with the Foujita. They didn’t fight, but they sat respectfully apart.