Wines of Valle d'Aosta: Morgex et La Salle and Prié Blanc
- Ipek Leni Candan
- Aug 10, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2024
Our Valle d’Aosta wines series continues with an overview of the wines of Morgex et La Salle in the upper valley, near Italy’s border with France. Viticulture in this area is characterised by the grape variety, Prié Blanc.
Morgex et La Salle and Prié Blanc
The stunning vineyard landscape of Morgex et La Salle, with Monte Bianco as its backdrop, is surrounded by steep slopes. In these lands, where environmental conditions for viticulture are almost prohibitive, the tenacity and ingenuity of the Alpine winemaker are a clear spectacle for visitors. You can read our article about Morgex et La Salle producer Ermes Pavese for further insights into the challenges winemakers face in this area.
Viticulture in Morgex et La Salle is made possible primarily by the presence of a grape variety with a very short growth cycle: Prié Blanc, Valle d’Aosta’s only native white variety. The exact origins of this grape variety are unknown, but evidence shows that it is a very old variety that has been growing in the Valle d'Aosta region since at least 1691. It has a close genetic relationship to several local grape varieties, including a clear parent-offspring relationship with Mayolet and Premetta.
Late budding allows Prié Blanc to escape late spring frosts, while early ripening enables harvest before the snow arrives, although some producers harvest later to make ice wine, which we discuss in this article.
The vast majority of Prié Blanc plantings in the world are found in Valle d'Aosta with 39 hectares recorded in 2000. Most of these are found in Morgex et La Salle. Outside of Italy, a scant 0.02 hectares of Prié Blanc is planted in the Valais region of Switzerland as of 2005 where the grape is known as Bernarde.
Prié Blanc is an aromatic, mineral-driven variety with very high acidity. It can be made in still, sparkling, dry and sweet styles.
The vineyards in Morgex et La Salle extend up to 1,250 metres above sea level, among the highest in Europe, and are a striking symbol of heroic viticulture. The characteristic low pergola training system, whose height from the ground can vary from 50 to 140 cm, helps limit frost damage by utilising the heat radiating from the ground, counteracts strong gusts of wind, and ensures greater stability of the structure in the event of heavy snowfall.
Another interesting feature of Morgex et La Salle is that it’s one of the very few vineyard areas in the world where the vines are generally ungrafted, meaning they are not grafted onto a rootstock resistant to phylloxera, the pest which devastated the majority of European vineyards in the mid-19th century. The altitude, climatic conditions, and nature of the soil prevent phylloxera from completing its biological cycle in Morgex et La Salle. The absence of the pest means vines can still be propagated through layering: in spring, a section of the vine shoots is buried, maintaining the link to the plant, and in autumn, when it is certain that the new plant has taken root, the cord that ties it to the mother plant is removed.
Cave Mont Blanc
The cooperative Cave Mont Blanc produces exceptional still, sparkling and dessert wines from the Prié Blanc grape. With around 70 members, they produce 140,000 bottles annually from 18 hectares of vineyards. This is spread across 33 vineyards, most of which is in Morgex, although the highest vineyard is in La Salle and called Lo Moyesse (1,250 metres). The average altitude of their other vineyards ranges from 900 to 1,200 metres, lending the wines of Cave Mont Blanc a brisk, mineral and elegant edge that captures the rugged essence of Monte Bianco's extreme terroir.
Cave Mont Blanc began producing traditional method sparkling wines in 1983, starting with a modest output of around 1,000 bottles. Today, their traditional method production has grown to 45,000 bottles annually. In addition, they produce 20,000 bottles each year using the tank method in Valdobbiadene, Veneto.
While Prié Blanc is their signature grape, the Cave is rediscovering ancient and nearly extinct native grape varieties, such as the red variety Roussin de Morgex, a project which started in 2010. The first planting of Roussin de Morgex was lost after a spring frost in 2017, which decimated 98% of the Cave’s entire production when temperatures suddenly dropped to -5°C on 23 April, resulting in only 2,000 bottles being produced that year across their whole range. Undeterred, they have replanted Roussin, which is a difficult grape variety to cultivate, and it is currently being made into a sparkling rosé, set to be released in 2026 as a limited edition of around 80 bottles. They have also experimented with producing a red wine from Roussin, but the grape has struggled to ripen fully, with the ABV only reaching 9% and acidity remaining too high.
We had the pleasure of joining Cave Mont Blanc for a dinner event at their La Piagne vineyard in August 2024, perched at an altitude of around 1,100 metres. Historical records trace the vineyard back to 1856, and the cooperative has uncovered even older pergolas at higher elevations, although these are no longer maintained. The pergola system requires significant effort and expense—maintaining one hectare takes 800 hours, compared to just 100 hours for a hectare trained in the Guyot system.
The name “Piagne” translates to the foot of the mountain, referring to the towering Monte Bianco that looms over the vines. La Piagne is the only “clos” in the area—a vineyard encircled by dry stone walls that capture heat during the day and release it at night. This small vineyard, covering about 0.3 hectares, produces approximately 2,500 bottles each year. Nicolas Bovard, the cooperative’s president, guided us around La Piagne, offering valuable insights into the unique challenges of winemaking in this region.
Nicolas echoed what we had heard from other producers further down the valley—while Valle d’Aosta has historically experienced low disease pressure, climate change is making fungal infections more problematic. Traditionally, grape growers here would need to apply just three to four treatments per year, but this season's heavy rainfall has forced them to apply up to nine treatments to combat fungal diseases like downy mildew.
During the dinner, we sampled an impressive array of wines: the classic Blanc de Morgex still wine, the Blanc de Morgex Affinato in Miniera, the Glacier zero dosage sparkling, and the semi-ancestral method demi-sec sparkling.
The Glacier, a zero dosage sparkling wine crafted from 100% Prié Blanc, was a highlight. Produced using the traditional method, with 90% vinified in steel and 10% in oak, we tasted the 2020 vintage. Despite spending 30 months on lees, the wine’s primary aromas were mineral and wet stone, complemented by lemon and green apple, with no overpowering lees character. The high acidity was invigorating, and the mousse was delicate. This wine earned a silver medal at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards and was my favourite of the evening.
Next, we tried the 2022 Blanc de Morgex Affinato in Miniera, a still wine matured in the Cogne mines at an altitude of 1,800 metres for 12 months. With a consistent temperature of 6°C and 90% humidity, the mines provide a unique ageing environment. Two other producers, La Crotta di Vegneron and Cave des Onze Communes, are also ageing some of their wines there. The wine retained Prié Blanc’s signature minerality and aromatics, though its acidity was lower than expected due to the exceptionally warm vintage. We speculated whether the mine ageing might affect acidity levels, but Nicolas explained that this doesn’t seem to be the case. They are currently conducting a study to understand the precise effects of mine ageing. He also mentioned that while current wine laws permit their still wines to be matured in Cogne, which lies outside the Morgex et La Salle bounds, the rules for sparkling wines are more complex.
We continued with the 2023 Blanc de Morgex—a still wine made entirely from Prié Blanc, and a gold winner at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. The vintage benefited from hot days and cool nights, which helped preserve acidity. Once again, the wine exhibited the grape’s characteristic aromas of mineral, blossom, jasmine, lemon and green apple.
Our final wine was the Ancestrale Blanc Passion sparkling wine, a blend of 50% Moscato and 50% Prié Blanc. The Moscato added sweetness while the Prié Blanc provided acidity. With 50 g/L of residual sugar and 11.5% abv, this wine was even more aromatic than single-varietal Prié Blanc wines.
Nicolas also shared an intriguing insight about their Cuvée des Guides range, which is a limited edition wine with only 1,000 bottles produced. They are experimenting with producing this wine at an altitude of 2,173 metres on the Monte Bianco, and conducting studies with the University of Torino, which are due to be published soon. The study is exploring how atmospheric pressure and altitude impact the winemaking process. Initial findings suggest that the lees act more slowly at this altitude, with the wine reaching six bars of pressure in a month and 10 days, compared to one month at lower altitudes. The mousse also appears to be finer at this altitude.
Following the dinner event, I visited Cave Mont Blanc for a winery tour with Nicolas, who graciously allowed me to taste some of their other wines. We began with the 2020 X.T., which stands for "extreme," referring to the challenging conditions the winemakers face. This wine was part of a project focusing on "extreme wines" produced in challenging circumstances, using grapes from the Cave's highest vineyards, including Lo Moyesse, and fermented with native yeasts. After 30 months on lees, the wine had developed some body that balanced its very high acidity while still showcasing green apple, citrus and mineral notes. When I returned to the wine at the end of the tasting, intriguing aromas of salted peanuts had begun to emerge.
Next, we sampled the Blanc du Blanc Brut. The name cleverly plays on "Blanc de Blancs," with "blanc" referencing both the wine and Mont Blanc. Aged for 24 months on lees, with 50% in barrique, it was a fruit-driven wine with less lees influence than the previous wine.
We then tried the 2018 Cuvée du Prince, which was one of my favourites of the day. Despite spending 72 months on lees, the lees character remained subtle, allowing the fruit aromas and the wine's unique saltiness to shine. Interestingly, none of the sparkling wines we tasted in Morgex et La Salle that had been lees-aged for extended periods exhibited an overwhelming lees character, because the grapes are harvested at full maturity, and the winemakers are careful to let these characteristics take centre stage. This is the Cave's only sparkling wine that is riddled by hand, which takes around 21 days.
Moving on to still wines, we tasted the 2020 Blanc de Morgex et La Salle Vini Estremi. Like the X.T., this wine was fermented with native yeasts selected to accurately represent the unique terroir of Morgex et La Salle. It was highly aromatic, with pronounced notes of orange blossom, mountain flowers and citrus fruits, while the acidity was slightly less zingy compared to some other examples of Prié still wines we had tried.
We finished with the 2019 single-vineyard La Piagne still wine, from the vineyard where we'd had dinner a couple of weeks earlier. This is the latest vintage of this wine from La Piagne which has since been replanted. It's the Cave's only still wine where 65% of the wine is fermented in new, untoasted French oak for 12 months. It was another standout wine, featuring riper fruit aromas like pineapple and banana alongside Prié’s classic citrus and mineral notes. The untoasted oak added structure and a subtle wood note without overshadowing the unique characteristics of this grape variety—a very memorable expression of a still Prié Blanc wine. Although this wine is wonderful to drink now, I am excited to see how it might develop over the next few years.
