At the foot of Mont Blanc
This twenty-hectare subzone of the Valle d’Aosta DOC is home to the rare Prié Blanc grape.
Here, in the shadow of Mont Blanc, winemakers train their plants in a distinctive pergola bassa (low pergola) formation. Because of the low temperatures and the coarse topsoil, phylloxera has never been present and the vines are, therefore, entirely franco di piede.
At harvest time growers climb on their knees beneath the vines and pick the fruit hanging above their heads. It’s the sort of tenacious act which earns it the ‘Heroic viticulture’ moniker.
📸 (side image & top image) James MacNay