Forty years for the first sparkling wine produced by the cooperative winery from some of the highest vineyards in Europe: the Aosta Valley-based Cave Mont Blanc.
Italian genius makes it possible to anticipate desires by creating fashions and trends. In this historical moment where any sparkling wine is made, as long as it is indigenous, often with “disreputable” results, we found ourselves celebrating the 40th birthday of a classic method from Valle d’Aosta from indigenous grape varieties (Prié Blanc) that has amazed us for the umpteenth time: we are talking about the Vallée d’Aoste Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle Classic Method Sparkling Wine Cave Mont Blanc.
La Cave Mont Blanc debuted with this wine project in 1983 and only 1,000 bottles were put on the market 3 years later, seizing immediate success. To date, the bottles have grown to about 100,000 always based on Prié Blanc (the winery’s only grape variety), which proves to be an eclectic and long-lived variety. Endowed with high acidity, it shows with modern winemaking a varied and distinctive bouquet that ranges from floral, saffron with hints of citrus if not slightly balsamic, with a nice personality. The still white wines also impressed us, especially the mine project; once bottled it is left in the “mine” to age. The La Piagne cru, from an ancient terraced vineyard, is also excellent.
On the sparkling wine side, the Cuvée des Guides project, which is sparkling wine at over 2,000 meters thanks to the collaboration with the Society of Mountain Guides of Courmayer and Funivie Sky Way Monte Bianco (a very modern, truly marvelous facility that takes you to 3,400 meters in 10 minutes), is very interesting. The entire sparkling process takes place at an altitude of 2173 meters on Mont Blanc, 36 months on the lees create a bubble of resounding finesse.
La Cave Mont Blanc is a mini social winery where. 70 members joined together to work 18 hectares of property almost all in pergola valdostana, which means an elevation height of about 1.4 meters, difficult to work and with such steep slopes that terracing is mandatory, many of the vineyards are over 1,000 meters and have rather low yields. Truly commendable restoration and land protection work.
