Food & Wine - visit the producers: Avise, La Salle, Morgex

La Cave Mont Blanc was founded in 1983 and today has about 80 owners who passionately cultivate 18 hectares of vineyards. The goal is to make the most of the authenticity and originality of the grape/terroir combination. La Cave adopts a rigorous enological philosophy that allows Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle to completely express the uniqueness of its characteristics. In the last stretch of Valle d’ Aosta, at the foot of Mont Blanc, the cultivation of grapevines rises to prohibitive heights reaching 1200 m. Ours are among the vineyards that grow at the highest altitudes in Europe. The area of cultivation extends into the territories along the orographic left of the Dora Baltea in the municipalities of Morgex and La Salle.
Vallée d’Aoste D.O.C. (Controlled Designation of Origin) Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is produced using exclusively the Prié Blanc biotype Blanc de Morgex grape, the only variety of white grapes that is native to Valle d’Aosta, naturally selected over the centuries. Its characteristic is to complete its entire vegetative cycle in a very short period of time, due to its late budding and early ripening. Prié Blanc is grown on low pergolas to avoid damage from wind and winter frost and to take advantage of the heat from the ground. Reproduction still today takes place by means of the system of layers or viaungrafted shoots, since the grafting on American vines is not necessary. In fact, at these altitudes, the phylloxera, the terrible insect that camefrom the Americas at the end of the 19th century, cannot cause damage to the vine. The particular climatic conditions make it possible to limit pesticide treatments, obtaining a product with a high degree of genuineness.

The products
White DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle “Tradizionale”, “Affinato in miniera”, “La Piagne Cru” e “Vini estremi”
DOP straw wine: Late Harvest “Chaudelune Vin de Glace” 
DOP sparklings: Classic Method «Glacier Pas Dosé» Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, «XT Extra Brut», «Blanc du Blanc Brut», «Cuvée du Prince Brut Nature»
Other productions:
Spumanti: Fripon (Charmat Extra Dry method), Ancestrale (Demi-Sec method) and Cuvée des Guides (Classic Brut method produced at 2173m in our sparkling wine laboratory at Pavillon du Mont Fréty on the Mont Blanc Sky Way).
Distillates: Prié Blanc Grappa

Opening hours of the retail outlet: the store is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 am - 12 pm / 3.30 pm - 6 pm, closed on Wednesday afternoons, Sundays and holidays. During the Christmas period, the opening hours may undergo changes, check directly on our website.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited all year round, except during the grape harvesting period. Reservations to be made by email at info@cavemontblanc.com or by telephone at the following number +39 0165 800331.
Number of visitors required for a visit: no limit.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and basic English.

How to get there
From Aosta: beyond the traffic lights at the entrance to the Municipality of Morgex, turn right. La Cave is located just past the railroad crossing, on the right.
From Pré-Saint-Didier: after the roundabout with the vineyard continue on towards Aosta. La Cave is located just past the railroad crossing on the left.