Flagship Champagne House Names New Cellar Master To Usher In Next Era

Champagne mainstay G.H. Mumm, first established in 1827, has named a new Cellar Master. Yann Munier, officially taking the reins in the first week of April, is a native of the champagne region and comes from three generations of winemakers and growers. Munier understands the importance of Mumm’s history, savoir-faire and style. A master in the creation of champagne throughout his impressive career, Yann prides himself on a visceral attachment to the terroir. Sincerely attuned to the quality of wine and human values, Yann intends to promote excellence as the brand’s primary ambassador.

Always remaining close to his roots, Yann was born in Vitry-le-François where he grew up in an environment where terroir and champagne play a central role in daily life. The third generation of a family of winemakers and growers, Yann continues to take part in running the family’s domain, which in addition to creating its own cuvées, supplies grapes to a number of Champagne houses, including Maison Mumm. Known for being equal parts a man of the land, of wine and of community: he has a visceral attachment to the terroir of Champagne, is especially attentive to the quality of its wines, and is sincerely attuned to human values.

With his training in agronomy, agricultural engineering and oenology, Munier has mastered every stage in the creation of champagne in the course of a career working primarily at the heart of the Covama cooperative. After a five-year interlude at Nicolas Feuillatte, he returned to Covama in 2017 as its Cellar Master.

“We are especially pleased to welcome Yann Munier to Mumm. We took the necessary time to find the person who could best ensure the continuity of an established savoir-faire and style, who could closely accompany our teams in Champagne and promote the House’s standing both in France and abroad,” - François-Xavier Morizot, Vice President of G.H. Mumm

I had the opportunity to ask Yann Munier a few questions about taking over the cellar at G.H. Mumm:

MK: How excited are you about making the move from your last cellar to G.H. Mumm's cellar in Reims ?

YM: Moving to Reims means that I am getting closer from the heart of the champagne region as I join one of the most prominent Champagne Houses in the World – G.H. Mumm is the fifth leading in volume.

MK: Which vineyards that Maison Mumm sources from are you most excited to become familiar with?

YM: Pinot Noir, the signature grape of G.H. Mumm Champagne, expresses the character of its native terroir including its sun exposure and specific soil conditions. Wines made from Pinot Noir grown in the Verzenay Grand Cru, for example, display wonderful vivacity and fine structure with a hint of minerality .

MK: You’re regarded as one of the top blenders in Champagne, what skills do you hone in to stay sharp at understanding blend composition for such an intricate product like Champagne?

YM: I like to spend time in the vineyards to better follow the rhythm of the vine but also taste the different types of wine coming from different plots and grapes daily. By tasting regularly it’s a way to enrich our aromas library and ensure that we can find the right juice for the right wine to preserve the champagne’s house consistency .

MK: For readers who are unfamiliar with the world of a Cellar Master in Champagne: How many kilometers per day do you expect to walk daily in the cellar?

YM: Mumm’s cellars are 25km… I hope I won’t have to walk this distance everyday! Joking aside, I have the chance to join an amazing champagne house with a great wine heritage that I will be pleased to discover .