Girard-Bonnet’s Au Bout du Chemin captures the warmer, clay-rich terroirs of the southern Côte des Blancs, sourced from villages such as Vertus and surrounding Premier Cru sites. These south-facing slopes, with more clay in the soils and more consistent sunshine, bring a riper, more aromatic expression of Chardonnay, combining generosity of fruit with natural freshness. An approachable, expressive Champagne made to be enjoyed across a wide range of occasions.
Style
A refined and terroir-driven Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs, combining freshness, elegance, and depth. Precise and mineral-driven, with a rounded, textured character.
Vineyard
Sourced from Vertus Premier Cru, in the Côte des Blancs. Clay-limestone soils over chalk provide freshness, minerality, and structure.
Winery
100% Chardonnay, fermented with wild yeasts and partially aged in oak. Extended lees aging adds texture and subtle complexity while preserving freshness.
Nose / Palate
Lemon zest, citrus, white flowers, chalk, and subtle brioche notes. Fresh and precise, with fine mousse, vibrant acidity, a generous rounded texture, and a long, clean mineral finish.
Vertus is one of the most important villages of the southern Côte des Blancs, and its Chardonnay offers a distinct interpretation of the region: fresher and more fruit-driven than the Grand Cru villages further north, yet still firmly shaped by chalk and limestone.
The village has a long viticultural history and is one of the largest and most diverse vineyard areas of the Côte des Blancs. Its vineyards extend across varied slopes and exposures, with chalk-rich soils mixed with clay and marl, creating wines with both mineral freshness and greater breadth of fruit.
Vertus Chardonnay typically shows lemon, grapefruit, green and yellow apple, white flowers and fresh pear, sometimes developing almond, pastry and subtle creamy notes with age. On the palate, the wines combine lively acidity with a slightly broader, more generous texture than the more vertical Chardonnay of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
The southern position of Vertus brings a touch more warmth and fruit generosity, while the chalk preserves freshness and saline tension. This balance makes the village particularly versatile, producing wines that can be both precise and approachable.
At its best, Vertus expresses the Côte des Blancs through freshness, purity and generosity — less austere than Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, less powerful than Avize, and more structured and mineral than the softer expressions of the southern Côte des Blancs.
"The NV (2022) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Au Bout du Chemin is 100% Chardonnay from Vertus and Voipreux. Readers will find a potent Blanc de Blancs that shows the more savory and phenolic side of Chardonnay. Dried herbs, chamomile, tangerine peel, mint, slate and chalk literally stain the palate. There's real depth and resonance here. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: April 9, 2025."
2025-12-30
Girard-Bonnet is an emerging grower-producer in the Côte des Blancs, crafting highly limited Champagnes from just 12 hectares of Grand and Premier Cru vineyards.
Founded by young vigneron Paul Girard (born 1995) - connecting his father, Philippe Girard’s holdings in Les Mesnil, and his mother, Dominique Bonnet’s holdings in Oger - the estate represents a new generation focused on organic and biodynamic farming, with certification achieved in 2022 and ongoing Demeter conversion.
Producing only around 10–20,000 bottles annually, the wines are rare, precise expressions of 100% Chardonnay from prestigious sites like Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Paul’s hands-on, low-intervention approach - using natural fermentations and extended lees aging - highlights purity, texture, and terroir.
This is a fresh, forward-thinking Champagne house, rapidly gaining attention for its authenticity and small-scale craftsmanship.
Alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Alcoholic beverages are not sold to persons under 20 years of age.
