2024 Ermes Pavese - Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle (750ml)

Ermes Pavese farms in the commune of La Ruine, just outside Morgex, minutes from the summit of Mont Blanc in the highest vineyards in all of Europe. His family's operation began humbly in 1999, drawing on the guidance of Marziano Vevey, a longtime figure in Blanc de Morgex production, and has since grown to include three distinct bottlings: the traditional wine, a barrique-aged version his son Nathan produces, and a late-harvest style called Nineveh. Pavese has become closely associated with Prié Blanc, a grape found almost nowhere else in the world.

This flagship bottling comes from vines planted at roughly 1,200 meters above sea level, so high and isolated that phylloxera never reached them, leaving Pavese to work with rare, ungrafted pre-phylloxera rootstock. Grapes are entirely hand-picked given the difficulty of the terrain, briefly macerated, then pressed as whole clusters and fermented in stainless steel to protect the wine's minerality and aromatics. Extended time on fine lees builds body, and most tanks complete a spontaneous malolactic fermentation.

The 2024 shows verdant mountain herbs and white flowers alongside delicate citrus and stone fruit, all carried by a crushed-stone minerality and a lean, racy structure. It's an excellent match for crudo, fresh water fish, or a simple fennel salad.