March 20, 2026
What a fascinating blind tasting: sixteen champagnes from the 2018 vintage, a year that broke records for heat and sunshine Girard-Bonnet Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc A Mi-Chemin NV
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Girard-Bonnet is a new estate, located in the Grand Cru village of Les Mesnil sur-Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. Owned by Paul Girard, a young and passionate vigneron, born 1995, joining together his father, Philippe Girard’s holdings in Les Mesnil and his mother, Dominique Bonnet’s holdings in Oger. The twelve hectares of vineyard land is split almost evenly between these two revered Grand Crus. Paul returned home in 2018, after studying viticulture and enology in Avize, followed by a double master’s degree in Wine Management and Business in Bordeaux and immediately began work on this new project. Paul is committed to organic viticulture, certified in 2022 and Demeter biodynamic certification in 2023. The vineyards and the soil health are the basis for the quality he produces. The winery is very high tech, with careful use of oak that he integrates well into the champagnes, never prominent, just adding texture and interest.
Paul’s first bottling, Mi-Chemin (“middle of the path”), a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs sourced from two different parcels, with 50% Le Mesnil sur Oger representing the Girard family and 50% Oger as an expression of the Bonnet family.
Vineyard: The Girard-Bonnet vineyard comprises 12 hectares mainly located in the Côte des Blancs, more precisely in Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, classified as Grand Cru and Vertus Premier Cru and famous for their high-quality Chardonnays. The use of herbicides was phased out as from the 2000s under Philippe Girard’s guidance. The estate then took an individualised approach to its vines, as each one requires specific care so that it can reveal its characteristics depending on its age, location and exposure. The use of plant treatments like herbal teas, essential oils, green manure and eco-pasture, is common practice in their vineyards.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 50% Les Mesnil sur Oger & 50% Oger
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 2 years
Base Vintage: 70% 2021
Reserve wines: 30% 2020 & 2019
Disgorgement: 21st February 2024
Dosage: 3 g/l
Vinification: Wild yeasts in barrel & stainless steel
Drink: Now to 2035+
Tasting Note: Lemon and caramel. A broad plane of yellow-white fruit, crisp, disciplined, transparent. Touch of toasted hemp heart and flax, but it’s the piercing citric acidity that shapes this wine into an arrow on the end. - Tasted by Tamlyn Currin
Paul’s first bottling, Mi-Chemin (“middle of the path”), a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs sourced from two different parcels, with 50% Le Mesnil sur Oger representing the Girard family and 50% Oger as an expression of the Bonnet family.
Vineyard: The Girard-Bonnet vineyard comprises 12 hectares mainly located in the Côte des Blancs, more precisely in Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, classified as Grand Cru and Vertus Premier Cru and famous for their high-quality Chardonnays. The use of herbicides was phased out as from the 2000s under Philippe Girard’s guidance. The estate then took an individualised approach to its vines, as each one requires specific care so that it can reveal its characteristics depending on its age, location and exposure. The use of plant treatments like herbal teas, essential oils, green manure and eco-pasture, is common practice in their vineyards.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 50% Les Mesnil sur Oger & 50% Oger
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 2 years
Base Vintage: 70% 2021
Reserve wines: 30% 2020 & 2019
Disgorgement: 21st February 2024
Dosage: 3 g/l
Vinification: Wild yeasts in barrel & stainless steel
Drink: Now to 2035+
Tasting Note: Lemon and caramel. A broad plane of yellow-white fruit, crisp, disciplined, transparent. Touch of toasted hemp heart and flax, but it’s the piercing citric acidity that shapes this wine into an arrow on the end. - Tasted by Tamlyn Currin
