Lauren never knew she was a mountain girl until she made the trek from New York City to Colorado. Standing atop the Continental Divide at 12,000 feet and flanked by 25-foot walls of snow, the altitude, the crisp air – the fact that it was June – all combined to create an unparalleled natural high.
Funny, then, that she never thought too much about the fact that many of her favorite wines come from vineyards planted at dizzying elevations. But she knew she’d love Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex before first sip; the vineyards the prié blanc grape calls home are the highest in all of Europe, situated in the Alps in Vallée d’Aosta, near the summit of Mont Blanc.
The altitude means the vines were never exposed to phylloxera, a nasty, sap-sucking louse that obliterated 90 percent of Europe’s vineyards in the mid-19th century. These vines were never grafted onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstock, unlike many other European rootstocks (This effectively saved the European wine industry.). In short, these wines are original: They are classic, Old World wines with the same character they had before phylloxera devastated Europe. It’s like drinking history – a liquid time machine.
But prié blanc is not the only star of the Vallée d’Aosta. Head southwest, and you’ll find more exquisite wines made from little-known grape varieties like petit rouge and petite arvine. The Grosjean family makes stellar incarnations of these grapes in small quantities. That makes us very lucky to have them in St. Louis.
The off-beat grape varieties in this little-known DOC help maintain the quality of the wines produced. These are pure wines with exceptional balance and tremendous acidity and minerality. Any Italian wine list without these selections probably needs an overhaul.
These wines overperform for their price points, but once Vallée d’Aosta appears on everyone’s radar, expect prices to go up. Get in your car this minute and buy them – by the case if possible.
Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et De La Salle, 2010, Prié Blanc, Vallée d’Aosta, Italy
Lemon and salty lime zest up front. Huge acid explodes on the tip of the tongue. This white wine demands salty, fatty foods, standing up to Wagyu and walleye alike. Available at The Wine & Cheese Place in Clayton
Grosjean Vigne Rovettaz, 2011, Petite Arvine, Vallée d’Aosta, Italy
Succulent and rich. Round melon and pineapple notes are backed by flint, and assertive notes green herbs echo on the finish. Available at Starr’s and Schnucks on Lindbergh Boulevard
Grosjean Vigne Rovettaz, 2011, Petit Rouge blend, Vallée d’Aosta, Italy
Bright red plum and cherry. The palate is mid-weight with a seamless, integration of acidity and tannin, and bright berry fruit. Available at Schnucks on Lindbergh Boulevard
This article appears in October 2013.