A milestone spring release introduces six new wines, including the first-ever 2024 Flânerie Vineyard Chardonnay
April 28, 2026 (Carlton, OR) — Flâneur Wines is introducing six new spring releases following its historic victory in the “1976 Redo” competition, where the 2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay from La Belle Promenade Vineyard was named the top Chardonnay in the United States and the overall category winner—outperforming both French benchmarks and American icons in a modern blind tasting inspired by the landmark 1976 Judgment of Paris.
Arriving in the wake of this milestone, Flâneur Wines’ six spring releases are led by its inaugural Flânerie Vineyard Chardonnay—a defining moment for the estate. The collection as a whole reflects a deep connection to the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley, where a constantly shifting climate—oscillating between wet and dry, cool and warm—ensures that no two vintages are ever alike. Rather than impose uniformity, Flâneur embraces this natural variability, allowing each harvest to define its own identity and express the character of the season in full.
“This spring release highlights the focused, nervy energy of the 2023 vintage alongside the seamless richness of 2024,” says Flâneur Winemaker, Anthony Sereni. “We are especially excited to debut our Flânerie Vineyard Chardonnay, the first expression from this Ribbon Ridge site, showcasing the clarity, tension, and finesse of its marine sedimentary soils. It offers a striking counterpoint to our La Belle Promenade Chardonnay, which reflects the depth, structure, and mineral drive of volcanic soils in the Chehalem Mountains. Together, these wines present two distinct and complementary expressions of the Willamette Valley’s complexity and character.”
Flâneur Spring Releases
- 2024 Flânerie Vineyard Chardonnay · Ribbon Ridge AVA
Our inaugural Flânerie Vineyard Chardonnay marks the very first vintage from this exceptional Ribbon Ridge site. Carefully over-vintaged and aged in 27% new Austrian oak barrels—this small-lot wine showcases remarkable depth, textural complexity, and bright, precise acidity. With a savory, nuanced profile and restrained aromatic expression, it captures the vineyard’s singular character in its very first expression. $65 - 2024 La Belle Promenade Chardonnay · Chehalem Mountains AVA
The La Belle Promenade Chardonnay is a focused expression of our Chehalem Mountains estate, shaped by the vineyard’s elevation and volcanic soils. By design, it brings together the mineral, saline, and citrus-driven character of the rocky sections with the subtle breadth and texture of the deeper, decomposed soils. The result is a Chardonnay defined by clarity and structure, consistently reflecting the natural harmony from across the site year after year. $65 - 2023 Bon Vivant Chardonnay · Chehalem Mountains AVA
Long appreciated by Chardonnay connoisseurs, the Bon Vivant Chardonnay from La Belle Promenade Vineyard came into sharper focus on the world stage when the 2021 vintage earned first place in a modern blind tasting recreating the historic Judgment of Paris—ranking as the top Chardonnay among both French benchmarks and American icons. Each year, this wine is drawn from the most compelling barrels of the vineyard, carrying forward the pedigree of the site with each release. As we taste through our cellar, certain barrels rise to the top—those with a sense of decadent power or graceful precision and minerality that draw us in. With time, the composition begins to take form, ultimately becoming our yearly masterstroke: our most complex and layered Chardonnay. With a full spectrum of ripe fruits, layers of floral aromas gilded with brilliant spice from new oak, the Bon Vivant Chardonnay stands as a true masterpiece from La Belle Promenade Vineyard—produced in limited quantities and reserved exclusively for members. $95 (92 Points, Wine Advocate) - 2023 Cuvée Constantin Chardonnay · Willamette Valley AVA
Cuvée Constantin is a nod to one of the great flâneurs. In The Painter of Modern Life, Charles Baudelaire writes of Constantin Guys—a journalist turned street painter who wandered the promenades of Paris in search of fleeting moments. In that same spirit, this cuvée is composed each year through a thoughtful walk of the cellar—blending a wine that captures both richness and nuance. Drawn from both La Belle Promenade and Flânerie Vineyard, the wine leans into texture and breadth with enough freshness to bring lift and precision. $55 (93 Points, James Suckling) - 2024 Rivoli Pinot Noir · Chehalem Mountains AVA
Rivoli is a club-exclusive Pinot Noir drawn from the most expressive barrels of La Belle Promenade Vineyard—those that lean into depth, texture, and opulence. Named for the iconic Parisian boulevard, Rue de Rivoli, where art, history, and movement converge, this wine reflects that same sense of intrigue and refinement. Rivoli carries a vibrant energy, held in balance by plush texture and decadent fruit—a wine made to evolve, unfolding with time into something increasingly compelling. $75 - 2023 La Belle Promenade Pinot Noir · Chehalem Mountains AVA
This single vineyard Pinot Noir captures the essence of La Belle Promenade, our high-elevation estate in the Chehalem Mountains, rooted in volcanic soils. There is an immediate sense of energy and refinement—layered blue and black fruits carried by a vibrant tension and a seamless, silky texture. Both expressive and composed, it is a wine of depth and elegance, offering a vivid reflection of the site with each vintage. $65 (92 Points, Wine Advocate; 92 Points, James Suckling)
Guests are invited to experience Flâneur Wines through a range of thoughtfully curated offerings that bring the estate’s philosophy to life. At the restored Grain Elevator Tasting Room in Carlton, Oregon, visitors can enjoy guided tastings that highlight both current releases and limited-production wines, seasonal flights, library selections, and educational touchpoints, for an experience that feels both elevated and approachable.
For a deeper connection to the source, guests can visit La Belle Promenade Vineyard, the origin of Flâneur’s award winning 2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay. The Blue Barn Tasting at La Belle Promenade Vineyard offers sweeping views of the vines in an old, rustic setting. Additional Blue Barn experiences include a vineyard lunch, tasting, and tour. The Ghost Barn Experience at La Bell Promenade Vineyard is exclusive to wine club members. Reservations are available at https://www.flaneurwines.com/visit/.
The winery currently has openings in two of its three membership tiers—the Flâneur Club and the Connoisseur of Life Club—while the top-tier Bon Vivant Club maintains a waiting list. Those interested may join online at https://www.flaneurwines.com/membership/ or contact the winery directly.
About Flâneur Wines
A flâneur is, quite simply, a leisurely wanderer, a worldly explorer, a connoisseur of life. The word, hailing from 19th-century France, captures the idea that the mind functions best at a slow pace, and that curiosity can uncover a life of significance. This was the life that Founder, Marty Doerschlag lived between selling his first company and starting Flâneur Wines in 2013.
Flâneur Wines focuses primarily on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sparkling wines as well as some smaller bottlings of Pinot Meunier, Grüner Veltliner, Aligoté and Gamay from their two contrasting estate vineyards, La Belle Promenade Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA and Flânerie Vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. Both of which are organically dry farmed, in house. Their wines are unfined, unfiltered, native yeast fermented with a diverse use of barrels and a wide range of whole-cluster inclusion. In 2026, Flâneur’s 2021 Bon Vivant La Belle Promenade Chardonnay was named the number one Chardonnay in the U.S. and overall category winner in the 1976 Redo Competition in New York City.Flâneur’s winery and hospitality space is located downtown Carlton in the thoughtfully restored Carlton Grain Elevator. In the summer months, guests are welcome to experience the unhurried life of the flaneur vineyard-side for a tasting in a rustic Blue Barn atop their La Belle Promenade Vineyard. Each space sets the scene for all that Flâneur embodies: a beautiful environment to enjoy exciting wines, paired with an unforgettable experience that slowly unfolds – just like each bottle of their wine. https://www.flaneurwines.com/
