The 76 Redo
HISTORY REWRITTEN: FLÂNEUR WINES’ 2021 BON VIVANT CHARDONNAY FROM LA BELLE PROMENADE VINEYARD CLAIMS VICTORY IN HISTORIC “1976 REDO” COMPETITION
Photo Credit: Bella Spurrier
2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay ranks 1st Place “The 1976 Redo”
First held in Paris in 1976, the Judgment of Paris was a blind tasting that brought American wines into direct comparison with the most revered French estates before an expert panel of French judges. When California wines unexpectedly rose to the top, the results challenged centuries of assumption and marked a turning point—establishing the United States as a serious force in the world of fine wine.
On March 24, 2026—nearly fifty years later—that historic moment was revisited through a modern blind tasting, again evaluated blind by an expert panel. Created as a tribute to the original event, The 1976 Redo brought together a new generation of leading wines from both the United States and France.
We are incredibly honored to announce that our 2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay from La Belle Promenade Vineyard was ranked first among the top ten Chardonnays in The 1976 Redo—an outcome that reflects both the continued evolution of American wine and the emergence of Oregon’s Willamette Valley as a benchmark for world-class Chardonnay.
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2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay
La Belle Promenade Vineyard
Chehalem Mountains AVA
The Bon Vivant Chardonnay, as its name implies, is in a class by itself. Each year, as we taste through our cellar, certain barrels rise to the top. It could be their sense of decadent power, or their graceful precision and minerality that draw us to those barrels. Consequently, each time we revisit these special barrels, the blurry image of the final composition begins to take form. Ultimately, in the end, it is our yearly masterstroke: our most complex and layered wine. With a full spectrum of ripe fruits, layers of floral aromas are gilded with the brilliant spice from new oak. The Bon Vivant Chardonnay is a true masterpiece from our La Belle Promenade Vineyard.
tasting notes
The 2021 Bon Vivant Chardonnay opens with a warm, expressive bouquet of spiced orchard fruit, Meyer lemon, and citrus blossom, accented by toasted hazelnut, oyster shell, and a delicate note of clove. On the palate, the wine moves with both richness and restraint—layered with lemon curd, blood orange zest, and crushed gravel. A refined structure and vibrant acidity bring tension to its generous core, guiding the wine toward a long, elegant finish that speaks clearly of La Belle Promenade’s volcanic soils and elevation. Each year, the blend is composed blind, drawn from the most compelling barrels in our cellar. Remarkably, it consistently converges on a selection from the southeast blocks of La Belle Promenade—an intuitive expression of place revealed through taste alone.
Technical data
- Bottled August 2022
- 131 Cases Produced
- pH3.25
- TA 6.7
- 12.5% Alcohol
- Native Yeast Fermentation
- 50% New French Oak & 50% New Austrian Oak
- Comprised of Two 600 Liter Barrels
- Whole Cluster Pressed
- 100% La Belle Promenade Vineyard
La Belle Promenade Vineyard
La Belle Promenade Vineyard lies within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Established in 2014 on the site of a former cherry orchard, this 40-acre estate was envisioned by owner Marty Doerschlag as a place to farm world-class wines. The vineyard sits between 750–850 feet in elevation along the western slope, rooted in basalt-derived volcanic soils of varying depth. Its undulating terrain creates a range of sun exposures, shaping the distinct character of each block. The soils retain moisture exceptionally well supporting dry-farming and balanced vine growth. Farmed in-house using organic principles, the vineyard consistently yields fruit defined by plush texture, floral aromatics, and vibrant acidity. Farmed by Director of Vineyards Jaime Cantu and Vineyard Assistant Juan Corona.
The Original 1976 Judgement of Paris
A Moment That Changed Everything
On May 24, 1976, a quiet tasting in Paris reshaped the world of wine. Organized by British wine merchant Steven Spurrier, founder of L’Académie du Vin, alongside his colleague Patricia Gallagher, the now-legendary Judgment of Paris brought together an esteemed panel of French judges for two blind tastings—one featuring Chardonnay, the other Cabernet Sauvignon. The lineup placed France’s most revered wines alongside a small group of then little-known producers from California.
Spurrier understood the risk of such a comparison—but not the magnitude of what would follow.
The results defied expectation. California wines from Napa Valley were ranked above their French counterparts in both categories, sending ripples through the global wine community and challenging long-held assumptions about where the world’s finest wines could be made. (Toggle Below To Read More)
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Top honors were awarded to the 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay and the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon—wines that would come to symbolize a turning point in modern wine history, now preserved in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
The aftermath was not without resistance. The results were questioned, debated, and, in some circles, dismissed. Yet over time, the significance of the tasting became undeniable. In subsequent revisitations of the wines—decades later—American producers once again proved their place on the world stage, reinforcing the lasting impact of that original moment.
Though only modestly covered at the time, including a brief mention in Time magazine, the story steadily gained recognition, ultimately reshaping global perception and altering the trajectory of American wine.
Now, fifty years later, to the very day, that spirit of inquiry has been revisited.
The willingness to question, to explore, and to believe that extraordinary wines can emerge from unexpected places continues to shape the modern wine landscape.
Photo Credit: Bella Spurrier