Girard-Bonnet

Region: Côte des Blancs Premier Cru Sites: Vertus Grand Cru Sites: Oger, Les Mesnil-sur-Oger Total Vineyard Holdings: 12 Ha Annual Production: 10-20,000 bottles Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay Girard-Bonnet is a young Champagne estate founded in 2018 by Paul Girard, a passionate vigneron born in 1995, who unites his father Philippe Girard’s holdings in Les Mesnil-sur-Oger and his mother Dominique Bonnet’s in Oger—two of the Côte des Blancs’ most revered Grand Cru villages. Farming 12 hectares organically (certified in 2022, with Demeter certification underway), Paul emphasizes soil health and precision winemaking, fermenting with natural yeasts in both barrels and tanks, keeping wines on full lees to minimize sulfur use, and allowing malolactic fermentation to occur naturally where it wishes. His first bottling, Mi-Chemin, symbolizes his own story, blending the plush, floral ripeness of Oger with the saline, structured character of Les Mesnil. Still small in scale, with much of his fruit sold off while production ramps up in his newly finished 2023 cellar, Paul is already making waves with both non-vintage blends and promising parcellaire wines, marking him as a rising star in Champagne.