Girard Bonnet

The History of Champagne Girard-Bonnet

Two families, winegrowers since the early 1900s, each following a different path: the Girard estate, a cooperative grower at Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the Bonnet estate, an independent grower-producer from Oger, which produced around 140,000 bottles in the 1980s under the name Champagne F. Bonnet Père et Fils. A first coming-together had already taken place in 1980, briefly uniting the two names under this family label. Unfortunately, the brand came to an end in 1988 and the vineyards were placed under lease.

It is the next generation that will reconnect these two threads. The path of the Girard estate crosses that of the Bonnet estate once again, through the union of Philippe Girard and Dominique Bonnet. From this alliance, Paul Girard was born — halfway, as he likes to say, between his two families and their respective terroirs.

Paul returned to the estate in 2018, following studies in viticulture and oenology in Avize, succeeded by a dual master's degree in Wine Management and Business in Bordeaux. Drawing on this twofold theoretical and practical training, he brought together the vineyards of both families and created Champagne Girard-Bonnet, a grower-producer label crafted in the image of his origins. An estate new in its structures, yet deeply rooted in more than a century of Champagne history.

Terroirs and Vines of Champagne Girard-Bonnet

The Girard-Bonnet vineyard spans 12 hectares, principally located in the Côte des Blancs, more precisely across the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, as well as the Premier Cru of Vertus. This viticultural geography is a true identity card: each appellation brings its own character, tension and personality to the Chardonnay.

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, classified as Grand Cru, is one of the most renowned terroirs in the entire Champagne region. Its soils of pure chalk, exposed at the surface, give the wines an incisive minerality, a sharp acidity and an incomparable length on the palate. The Mon Village cuvée thus brings together the different soil types of the village, from deep colluvial deposits to exposed chalk at the surface.

Oger, another Grand Cru of the Côte des Blancs, offers rounder, more opulent Chardonnays, endowed with aromatic generosity and a velvety texture that contrasts elegantly with the precision of Le Mesnil.

Vertus, classified as Premier Cru, completes the triptych with clay-limestone soils over Campanian chalk. This village, located in the south of the Côte des Blancs, is renowned for its terroirs, which lend the wines a beautiful minerality and remarkable elegance.

Paul is resolutely committed to organic viticulture (certified in 2022) and has been leading the conversion of his vines to Demeter biodynamic farming since 2023, a process begun four years earlier. The decision not to use herbicides, already introduced by Philippe Girard as early as 2000, is complemented by innovative agricultural techniques based on the principles of sustainable farming, with an individualised approach for each vine, whose needs vary according to age, location and exposure. Eco-grazing, herbal teas and essential oils are used to nourish and protect the soils, in a philosophy that places biodiversity and microbial vitality at the heart of the viticultural approach.

Winemaking at Champagne Girard-Bonnet

At Girard-Bonnet, the cellar is the natural extension of the vineyard. Winemaking is merely the reflection of the estate's philosophy, firmly convinced that a great wine begins with healthy grapes. The individual plots are pressed separately, the juices are then naturally settled, before being transferred into various vessels to undergo natural fermentation.

Fermentations take place with indigenous yeasts in a variety of vessels: oak barrels, stainless steel tanks and amphorae, chosen according to the character of each plot. This freedom in the choice of vessel is not an aesthetic whim, but a genuine agronomic reflection: wood adds depth and complexity, stainless steel preserves freshness and fruit, while amphora encourages micro-oxygenative exchanges while retaining aromatic purity.

The cellar is integrated into a gravity-flow process, allowing for respectful winemaking without unnecessary handling. The wines then continue their journey on lees for a minimum ageing of ten months. They are drawn off without fining or filtration and placed in the cellar for a second fermentation, for a period that will vary according to the cuvée. The use of sulphur is kept to an absolute minimum, only when necessary. The dosage, always Extra-Brut, is intentionally low so as not to mask the natural expression of the terroir. A plot-by-plot, natural and rigorous approach to winemaking, in service of a single vision: to make Champagne the way 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 aims to reflect the terroir of Vertus. This terroir yields an aromatic and highly pleasurable Chardonnay, with a generous palate: a Champagne to bring out for any occasion. Made from 100% Chardonnay sourced from the estate's vines near Vertus, this cuvée is composed of 80% of the year's harvest, complemented by reserve wines. The winemaking follows a dual approach: 75% in stainless steel tanks to highlight the expression of the grape variety, and 25% in oak barrels to enrich the structure and deepen aromatic complexity. The soil is clay-limestone over Campanian chalk.

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

The À Mi-Chemin cuvée reflects the Girard-Bonnet estate in its entirety: 50% Mesnil-sur-Oger for the Girard family, 50% Oger for the Bonnet family. It is the estate's signature cuvée, the one that tells the story of Paul Girard through his two heritages. Made exclusively from Chardonnay sourced from the estate's vines, the cuvée is composed of 70% of the year's harvest, complemented by reserve wines. The winemaking follows a dual approach: 75% in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness of the grape variety, and 25% in oak barrels, which bring depth and complexity to the aromatic profile. The wine ages on lees for more than 24 months, with a final dosage of 1.5 g/L as Extra-Brut.

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

Mon Village is a tribute to Paul Girard's home village, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This blend captures the different soil types of the village, including colluvial soils and soils with exposed chalk. This Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne is made from 100% Chardonnay sourced from the prestigious terroir of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It blends 70% of the year's base vintage with 30% reserve wines aged in oak foudres, naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts and subject to partial malolactic fermentation. Aged on lees for ten months before disgorgement, with 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 plots, from massale selection vines planted in 1982 at Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Vinified in a single vat, this cuvée rested in bottle for 55 months, with a dosage of 1 g/L. Available in a very limited edition, this Champagne focuses on the expression of a specific vintage and on the way in which the year's growing cycle expressed itself. It is the estate's collector's cuvée, the one that the most discerning enthusiasts eagerly seek out at each release. A Champagne de garde, to be opened alongside exceptional dishes or carefully cellared.