Three must-try wines from Europe’s highest vineyards in the Italian Alps
- The stunning Valle d’Aosta region – home to the highest vineyards in Europe – produces some unique wines
- Lean, elegant, light-bodied reds and whites are produced form grape varieties such as petit rouge, fumin and prié blanc
Mont Blanc, Italy’s highest mountain, at 4,810 metres, is a popular spot for winter sports and mountaineering. It also produces high-quality wines.
The Valle d’Aosta DOC, which lies in the vicinity of Mont Blanc, is Italy’s smallest wine region and home to Cave Mont Blanc, a cooperative with 80 owners and a combined vineyard site of 18 hectares. The region’s vineyards, at an altitude of 1,200 metres, are the highest in Europe and, thanks to the unique terroir and climate, produce a number of autochthonous wine varieties. The cool climate and altitude mean the vines are less prone to disease and phylloxera-free, so vineyards can be farmed with minimal treatment. Most of the vines are own-rooted. On the downside, the climate may cause ripening issues, and frost is a constant risk – in 2017, for instance, it destroyed most of the crop.
Prié blanc, an indigenous variety, is used to make dry white, sparkling and ice wines. The vines are trained in a pergola system close to the ground. This protects them from adverse weather, and the heat from the ground helps the ripening process. It often has a characteristic nose of green apples and high acidity. The most popular red variety is petit rouge, which has attractive red fruit and soft acidity. Fumin, traditionally used as a blending grape, possesses forward black fruit, high acidity and firm tannins.
Grown in extreme conditions, Valle d’Aosta wines are exhilarating with fresh primary fruit. They are light- to medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, and lean and elegant in structure.
Cave Mont Blanc Glacier Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle DOC 2016, HK$398
This sparkling wine is made from 100 per cent prié blanc, also known as blanc de morgex.