Girard Bonnet, Champagne, Grand Cru, A Mi-Chemin (Disgorged 02/2024)

Champagne Girard-Bonnet is hands down one of our most exciting recent discoveries, born from a fusion of two family domaines – each farming hallowed ground in the Côte des Blancs. The marriage of Philippe Girard and Dominique Bonnet brought together the Girard family holdings (a co-op grower based in Mesnil-sur-Oger) and the Bonnet family holdings (an independent bottler estate based in Oger). This champagne is a combination of fruit from both of their Mesnil and Oger vineyards, and has left us spellbound. Called ‘à Mi-Chemin’ (in French:  ‘halfway down the road’) because it’s a 50/50 blend of each family estate’s 50-year-old vineyards in the neighboring towns of Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. The fruit is 70% 2021, and the remainder from 2020 and 2019. It ferments mostly in wood with the remainder in stainless, only partially finishes malolactic in certain barrels; it then sees a tiny 2g/L of dosage. The noble fruit’s richness is remarkably inviting, and makes the glass quite difficult to set down.