On any given day, Ermes Pavese really does have a view from the top. His vineyards in the Valle d’Aosta, planted to the obscure native grape Prié Blanc, are the highest in all of Europe.

Made mere minutes from the summit of Mont Blanc, Pavese’s are wines of pure mountain minerality, filigreed fruit and featherweight structure.

He works within the DOC of Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, a very long name for a tiny region high up in the Alps where just a handful of winemakers dare operate.

The sole grape allowed is the aforementioned Prié Blanc, grown on ungrafted vines, as the elevation is too high for phylloxera to be a threat.

In the same way that the air feels cleaner and fresher when you’re hiking or skiing, a high elevation mountain wine like Pavese’s Blanc de Morgex feels racier and more brisk than other white wines we know.

It combines some of our favorite flavors and fragrances: aromas of verdant mountain herbs and tiny white flowers, delicate notes of exotic citrus and stone fruit.

Combined with crushed stone minerality and a lithe, svelte body, what more could we ask for?

Because the holdings are so small, and the yields so low, the average annual production of this wine is just 12,000 bottles.

Enjoy a slice of the Alps from the comfort of your couch or dinner table — no hiking boots required.

Ermes Pavese, Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, 2019
Vinous’ Antonio Galloni hasn’t reviewed the 2019 vintage, yet, but here’s what he has to say about the ’18: “Pale straw-green. Explosive aromas of apple, pear and mountain flowers. Fresh and juicy, revealing a minty twinge to the nectarine and lemony flavors. Closes long and juicy, with a tactile mouthfeel. Lovely.”