Reproduced from Year 5, Issue #24 of Spirito di Vino Asia...

Maison Mumm, is marking the Hong Kong ePrix by unveiling Mumm Grand Cordon, its revolutionary new champagne bottle, with the ambition to become the ultimate icon of celebration.

In line with its motto “Dare. Win. Celebrate”, Maison Mumm has for years been associated with audacious challenges and ground‑breaking endeavors all the way back to 1904, when it supported the explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot during the first French Antarctic expedition. Its partnership with Formula E is the latest in a series of high-profile sporting sponsorships which include, in horse racing, the Melbourne Cup and the Kentucky Derby and, in sailing, the Jules Verne Trophy and the Admiral’s Cup.

Mumm Grand Cordon, to be awarded to the winner of the Hong Kong Formula ePrix in early October, is the most innovative design in the history of the pioneering Champagne House. Breaking with convention, the bottle has no front label – instead, the G.H. Mumm signature and eagle emblem are printed in gold directly on the glass. Another striking feature of the design is its shape, which necessitated a whole series of innovations to the traditional champagne production process. The bottle’s unusually long, slender neck accompanies the development of the aromas of Mumm’s legendary Cordon Rouge Cuvée, which is remarkable for its intense expression of Pinot Noir, complemented by the subtlety of Chardonnay and the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier.

Perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the Mumm Grand Cordon bottle is its reinterpretation of its famous Cordon Rouge red sash, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. Indeed, this emblem of excellence dates back to 1876, when Mumm founder Georges Hermann Mumm had the idea of decorating selected champagnes with the red ribbon of the Légion

d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian award. On Mumm Grand Cordon, the red sash is transformed into a genuine red ribbon, which – in a feat of technology – is actually indented in the glass.

The bottle of Mumm Grand Cordon was created by multi-award-winning designer Ross Lovegrove, with whom Maison Mumm previously collaborated on a limited-edition sabre. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, Ross Lovegrove rose to international prominence with designs for Sony and Apple, and his work is exhibited in major museums throughout the world. Of Mumm Grand Gordon, he says: “Mumm wanted to break the champagne codes. To me, design should always push barriers and challenge tradition, and as a Welsh guy I wanted to shake up an icon of French luxury.”

Mumm is part of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët, the prestigious cognac and champagne business of Pernod Ricard, world’s co‑leader in Spirits & Wines. With its distinguished heritage dating back to 1827, Mumm is the leading international champagne House in France and third worldwide. Mumm Cordon Rouge, recognizable by its red ribbon is the embodiment of the spirit of the House: it stands out through the freshness and intensity of its style, which successive generations of cellar masters have successfully maintained and handed down. Mumm is the official champagne partner of the FIA formula e championship.

The FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully electric racing series, blasted off the grid in 2014 and is driving the future with its fusion of motorsport and entertainment. Representing a vision for the future of the motor industry, Formula E serves as a platform to showcase the electric vehicle and drive the conversation on clean energy and sustainability. Under the core values of Energy, Environment and Entertainment, the FIA Formula E Championship is designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans and bring the sport straight into the hearts of some of the world’s most dynamic cities on exhilarating, temporary street circuits. The inaugural season began in Beijing in September 2014, and finished nine months later in London, where Nelson Piquet Jr. made history as the first ever FIA Formula E Champion. The 2016/17 season features 14 races staged in some of the world’s leading and most beautiful cities on no fewer than four continents, starting in Hong Kong and finishing in New York.