Description
Ermes Pavese, “Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle”
We finally did it. After years of salivating over the gorgeous wines of Ermes Pavese and marveling at the region’s storybook pictures, we visited Aosta Valley. Clambering up steep alpine terraces, admiring the intricate network of ungrafted vines, and tasting through the entire lineup—all while Mont Blanc’s snowy peak loomed in the background—will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
The tiny region of Aosta is nestled in Italy’s northwestern outpost, making it one of the most remote, high-elevation regions of Europe. However, for the northernmost appellation of “Blanc de Morgex et La Salle,” even Atlas himself would have to whip out a magnifying glass—it’s home to less than 25 hectares of vines and about five fully functional producers. Furthermore, in this verdant, secluded, heavily forested paradise, you’ll only find one heirloom grape being cultivated: Prié Blanc. There are no others, and certainly no red grapes—“too high and cold,” we were told. Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that this remarkable place produces wines as fresh, lucid, and thirst-quenching as a mountain stream. If a Chablis-Grüner hybrid with racy fruit, crackling minerality, and a cooling alpine finish sounds delicious to you, welcome to your newest fixation!
Ermes Pavese, the grower and winemaker at this small family farm (they also own various livestock and even make their own potato chips), does all the farming and cellar work with the assistance of his family. His ungrafted vines, interspersed between home vegetable gardens, are tiny hand-farmed parcels rooted in a patchwork of stone terraces dating back to the 1600s. And they’re all perched at jaw-dropping elevations between 3,000-4,000 feet. In fact, their uppermost parcel is thought to be the highest vineyard site in all of Europe!
The only grape Ermes works with—and the only variety permitted in the Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle DOC—is Prié (pronounced “pree-AY”). Grapes are harvested in late fall and juice is pressed into stainless steel tanks where it ferments and rests underneath Ermes’ house. Following 12 months of maturation and a consistent lees stirring regimen, the wine is bottled.
This 2020 Prié Blanc spills into an all-purpose stem with a brilliant straw-yellow core that flashes bright green and platinum. It’s often said that drinking wine from these villages is like gulping fresh spring water after a long hike, and I couldn’t agree more. These are wines of striking energy and vitality. The medium-bodied palate provides electric, bristling textures of lime blossom, lemon peel, underripe mango peel, honeydew, lees, acacia, wet stone, and alpine herbs. The finish is lifted and poised, providing a sizzling trail of rocky minerality and mouthwatering citrus. Enjoy now and often, and get excited about the near future: In 6-12 months’ time, this will be hitting its sweet spot. Cheers!
