GH Mumm, the founder of the famous French Champagnes de Reims brand, negotiates with a Cognac producer in 1885.
- Handwritten letter from George Hermann Mumm, owner of the famous Champagne house, to Lucien Foucault, Cognac producer.
- Four pages (but two blank).
- In French.
- 20.7 cm x 27 cm.
- Reims (France), January 15, 1885.
- Excellent condition of conservation.
- Unique piece.
Extract
We have carefully tasted and compared your sample with cognacs from other producers, and we regret to have to tell you that your distillates are not suitable for our application. In order to be combined with our wines, the distillate must be completely neutral and pure on the palate; this is an absolute condition (...).
One of the world's leading producers of Champagnes, such as Veuve Clicquot and Moët and Chandon, the GH Mumm house was founded in 1827. In 1853, Georges Hermann Mumm, the founder's son, gave his name to the brand and defined a commercial strategy that allowed the house to rapidly expand its cellars and acquire the best vineyards. In the 1890s, Mumm Champagnes were already officially supplying the royal families in England, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Prussia, Austria-Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as cruises, hotels, restaurants and luxury clubs. Today, it is also an official sponsor of major sporting events, such as the Formula 1 and American Basketball (NBA) world championships. The "Cordon Rouge" is a symbol of prestige and lifestyle in hundreds of countries.
In 1885, G. H. Mumm negotiated with Lucien Foucault, owner of a respected French Cognac factory, to buy part of his production that would be used to make Champagnes. However, G. H. Mumm was not satisfied with the tastings and made another commercial proposal to Lucien Foucault, which seemed to be the purchase of Cognac for export, another specialty of the Mumm house.
Stéphane Kraxner, head of the archives of the Mumm et Perrier-Jouët companies in Reims, explains the relations between Champagne and Cognac producers at the time:
(...) In fact, as you probably know, champagne needs to expel the fermentation residues in order to be decanted and purified. Furthermore, during this operation some product is always lost, which is necessary to fill the bottle. Although today it is made with older wines or vintage wines, this was not the case in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Most champagne houses made their wines with a mixture of old wine and cognac spirit, which allowed them to correct alcohol levels that were too low for certain years. The progress of fermentation and the mastery of production methods, champagne making, have pushed these techniques into oblivion.
Furthermore, Cognac and Champagne houses have seen a certain interest in being represented by the same people in the markets: the two drinks both represent French luxury. Finally, the reunion of the LVMH Moët et Chandon and Hennessy groups has engendered another rapprochement of the same type as Pernod-Ricard or the subsidiary Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët bringing together the two products under a common management of luxury goods (…).
Handwritten by GH Mumm himself, with beautiful calligraphy and a prestigious signature, this letter is particularly valuable for lovers of French wines, Champagnes and Cognac.
