Valle d‘Aosta (or Vallée d‘Aoste) is Italy's smallest and least populated mountainous region, surrounded by the Alps in northern Italy, on the border with France. It was here in 1999 that Ermes Pavese and his wife Milena, founded their winery, in the village of Le Ruine, on the Italian side of the Monte Bianco (or Mont Blanc).
Ermes and Milena follow the entire winemaking process personally, from vineyard to bottling. Their vineyards, totalling five hectares are planted at staggering elevations, between 900 and 1,200 metres above sea level, and are among the highest in Europe. Prié Blanc is the only variety grown here and all the vines are ungrafted, thanks to the high elevations and sandy soils that prevent phylloxera from completing their life cycle. Globally, the plantings of Prié Blanc amount to less than 40 hectares, most of which are in the communes of Morgex and La Salle. Given the difficulties of growing grapes in this alpine environment, vintages can be quite variable, particularly regarding yields.
The Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is vinified in stainless steel after being gently pressed. The resulting wine displays delicate floral and herbal notes with a hint of spice and citrus on the intense and long finish.
The vineyards for this wine are located in the communes of Morgex and La Salle at the foot of Monte Bianco, on the sunniest slopes of the Dora Baltea river side. The vineyards are between 900 to1200 metres above sea level, and are the highest vineyards in Europe. Their isolation and altitude naturally protect the vines of Prié Blanc from phylloxera and therefore all vines are ungrafted. The soil is mountain sand of granite origin. Vines are trained by the traditional "pergola bassa" method, to protect them from low, nighttime temperatures even during the growing season.
The 2024 vintage mirrored 2023 with an unusually humid summer that created high disease pressure in the vineyards. Rigorous vineyard management was essential to maintain fruit health throughout the growing season. Careful sorting was carried out during harvest in September to ensure only quality grapes entered the cellar, with meticulous selection removing any compromised fruit to preserve the integrity of the final wine.
Grapes were harvested manually. Once in the winery, the whole bunches were gently pressed with a pneumatic press. Fermentation was carried out in 1000 to 6400 litre stainless-steel vats and lasted for two weeks. The wine was kept on the lees for nine months with frequent bâtonnage. During this time malolactic fermentation was allowed to take place in order to smooth the high acidity levels of Prié Blanc.
This wine shows delicate floral aromas on the nose, with hints of herbs. The palate is very refreshing and well balanced, with flavours of green apple and a touch of white pepper.
