"Au Bout du Chemin" Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Extra Brut

Score

16.5

"Packed with yummy, juicy citrus. Melon and even a touch of passion fruit. Very ripe, but in all the good ways. Fills the mouth like a star, points and lines in every direction, sparkling edges but lively and fun with a dusting of crushed white stone. (TC)"

Score

90

"Certified biodynamic as of 2023, Girard-Bonnet currently produces four cuvées and will have an Avize cuvée next year. The NV Champagne Au Bout Du Chemin is 80% from 2021 and the rest from 2020 and 2019 from Vertus. It pours a pale silver/yellow hue and offers a refreshing, lively nose on opening, with bright, savory notes of lemon verbena, crushed stones, and pear. Medium-bodied, it's appealing and approachable, with a juicy feel and a lovely texture. Drink now or over the coming several years."

Score

90

"Girard's 2021 vintage-based NV Blanc de Blancs Au Bout du Chemin hails from two east-facing plots in Vertus—La Justice and La Grande Borne—and was disgorged in December 2023 with three grams per liter dosage. Incorporating 20% reserve wines from 2019 and 2020, it is vinified in nearly equal parts in stainless steel and oak (500- and 600-liter barrels). Wafting from the glass with a bouquet of yellow stone fruit, citrus zest and bread, it's textural and demonstrative, especially in the context of the generally tight-knit vintage, defined by deeper clay soils. Medium-bodied, vibrant and pillowy, with an expansive finish, it's the most fruit-forward wine in the range."