Académie, Ostia Tempore Willamette Valley Chardonnay, 2025

There is a cellar in Vosne-Romanée that changes how people think about Chardonnay. It belongs to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and Thomas Savre trained there, and at Dujac and Chevrot. Then he came to Oregon, and in 2024 he and Joshua Wludyka founded Académie with Dominique Lafon and Bertrand de Villaine — yes, that de Villaine. The aim is not to make Burgundy in the Willamette Valley. It is to bring Burgundian rigor and close attention to Oregon fruit.

Ostia Tempore is the project's more immediate, generous side: wines made for the table rather than the cellar. The 2025 Chardonnay is its first official U.S. release, raised with a restrained, Burgundian-style élevage and subtle oak.

In the glass, expect bright citrus, white peach, pear and white flowers, then a silky, textured palate carried by vibrant acidity and a long mineral finish. It is generous without being heavy, and polished without losing its sense of place. At 13% alcohol it is made for seafood — crab, scallops, a simple roast fish — and for a bottle that disappears faster than you planned.