Producer · Aosta Valley, Italy

Ermes Pavese

Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest region, high in the Alps on the French border. In 1999 Ermes Pavese and his wife Milena set up their winery here, in the village of Le Ruine, below Mont Blanc on its Italian side.

They do everything themselves, from vineyard to bottle. Their five hectares sit between 900 and 1,200 metres up, among the highest vines in Europe. They grow only Prié Blanc, a rare local grape, and the vines are all on their own roots, since the height and sandy soils keep phylloxera away.

Mountain weather means yields vary a lot from year to year. The white is made in steel and is delicate, floral and herby, with a touch of spice and citrus.

Prié Blanc · £29.99 a bottle