Girard Bonnet

The History of Champagne Girard-Bonnet

Two families have grown grapes since the early 1900s, but followed different paths: Domaine Girard, a grower supplying a cooperative in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Domaine Bonnet, a grower-producer in Oger that made around 140,000 bottles in the 1980s under the name Champagne F. Bonnet Père et Fils. The two names first came together briefly under this family label in 1980. Unfortunately, the brand ceased operations in 1988, and the vineyards were leased out.

The next generation would bring these two strands back together. The path of Domaine Girard crossed that of Domaine Bonnet once again through the marriage of Philippe Girard and Dominique Bonnet. Their union brought Paul Girard into the world, halfway, as he likes to say, between his two families and their respective terroirs.

Paul returned to the estate in 2018 after studying viticulture and enology in Avize, followed by dual master’s degrees in Wine Management and Business in Bordeaux. Drawing on this blend of theoretical and practical training, he brought the two families’ vineyards together and created Champagne Girard-Bonnet, a grower-producer label shaped by his roots. The estate is new in its structure but deeply rooted in more than a century of Champagne history.

The Terroirs and Vineyards of Champagne Girard-Bonnet

The Girard-Bonnet vineyard covers 12 hectares, primarily in the Côte des Blancs, more specifically in the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger and the Premier Cru village of Vertus. This geography defines its identity: each appellation lends Chardonnay its own nuances, tension, and character.

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, classified as Grand Cru, is one of the most renowned terroirs in all of Champagne. Its pure chalk soils, reaching the surface, give the wines a striking minerality, acidity, and unparalleled length on the palate. The Mon Village cuvée brings together the village’s different soil types, from deeper colluvial deposits to exposed chalk.

Oger, another Grand Cru of the Côte des Blancs, produces rounder, more opulent Chardonnays, with aromatic generosity and a velvety texture that contrast elegantly with the austerity of Le Mesnil.

Vertus, classified as Premier Cru, completes the trio with clay-limestone soils over Campanian chalk. This village in the southern Côte des Blancs is known for terroirs that give its wines fine minerality and remarkable elegance.

Paul is firmly committed to organic viticulture, certified in 2022, and has been converting his vineyards to Demeter biodynamics since 2023, following a process begun four years earlier. Philippe Girard’s decision to stop using herbicides back in 2000 has been complemented by innovative farming techniques based on sustainable agriculture. Each vineyard is treated individually according to needs that vary with its age, location, and exposure. Conservation grazing, herbal infusions, and essential oils help nourish and protect the soils, reflecting a philosophy that places biodiversity and microbial vitality at the heart of viticulture.

Winemaking at Champagne Girard-Bonnet

At Girard-Bonnet, the cellar is a natural extension of the vineyard. Vinification simply reflects the estate’s conviction that good wine begins with healthy grapes. Grapes from each named parcel are pressed separately, and the juice settles naturally before being transferred into different vessels for natural fermentation.

Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in a range of vessels—oak barrels, stainless steel tanks, and amphorae—chosen according to each parcel’s character. This freedom of choice is not an aesthetic whim but a considered response to the grapes: oak adds depth and complexity, stainless steel preserves freshness and fruit, and amphorae encourage micro-oxygenation while retaining aromatic purity.

The cellar is designed around gravity flow, allowing for careful vinification without unnecessary handling. The wines then continue aging on their lees for at least ten months. They are bottled for secondary fermentation without fining or filtration and placed in the cellar for a period that varies by cuvée. Sulfur use is kept to a strict minimum, only when necessary. Dosage is always Extra-Brut and deliberately low so as not to mask the terroir’s natural expression. Parcel-by-parcel, natural and meticulous vinification serves a single vision: making champagne as one would make a fine wine from Burgundy.

The Cuvées of Champagne Girard-Bonnet

Au Bout du Chemin - Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru, Vertus

The Au Bout du Chemin cuvée is intended to reflect the terroir of Vertus. This terroir yields an aromatic, highly appealing Chardonnay with a generous palate: a champagne for any occasion. Made entirely from Chardonnay grown in the estate’s vineyards near Vertus, this cuvée comprises 80% wine from the year’s harvest, complemented by reserve wines. Vinification takes a two-pronged approach: 75% in stainless steel tanks to bring out the grape’s character and 25% in oak barrels to enrich its structure and deepen its aromatic complexity. The clay-limestone soil lies over Campanian chalk.

À Mi-Chemin - Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Mesnil-sur-Oger & Oger

The À Mi-Chemin cuvée reflects Domaine Girard-Bonnet as a whole: 50% Mesnil-sur-Oger for the Girard family and 50% Oger for the Bonnet family. It is the estate’s signature cuvée, telling Paul Girard’s story through his two family legacies. Made exclusively from Chardonnay grown in the estate’s vineyards, it comprises 70% wine from the year’s harvest, complemented by reserve wines. Vinification takes a two-pronged approach: 75% in stainless steel tanks to preserve the grape’s freshness and 25% in oak barrels, which add depth and complexity to the aromatic profile. The wine ages on its lees for more than 24 months and is finished as an Extra-Brut with a dosage of 1.5 g/L.

Mon Village - Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Mon Village pays tribute to Paul Girard’s home village, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This blend captures the village’s different soil types, including colluvial soils and areas where chalk reaches the surface. This Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru champagne is made entirely from Chardonnay grown in the prestigious terroir of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It combines 70% wine from the year’s vintage with 30% reserve wines aged in large oak casks, undergoes natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, and is subject to partial malolactic fermentation. It ages on its lees for ten months before disgorgement and has a dosage of 3 g/L.

Recueil Extrait - Prestige Cuvée Grand Cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Le Recueil Extrait is a blend from the estate’s finest parcels, planted in 1982 in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger using massal selection. Made as a single cuvée, it rested in bottle for 55 months and has a dosage of 1 g/L. Available in a very limited edition, this champagne focuses on the expression of a particular vintage and the way that year’s growing cycle unfolded. It is the estate’s collector’s cuvée, eagerly sought after by the most discerning enthusiasts with each release. A champagne built for aging, to open with exceptional food or keep carefully in the cellar.