White Grape · Aosta Valley
Prié Blanc is the lone native white grape of Valle d'Aosta, ripening between 900 and 1200 metres in the Valdigne foothills of Mont Blanc.
It is the sole grape behind Valle d'Aosta DOC Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, an alpine white grown on ungrafted, low pergola vines around the communes of Morgex and La Salle in north-west Italy.
Green Apple
Mint
Hay
Acacia
Wet stones
Citrusy fruit
Serve
8–10°C
Decant
No
Glass
Sauvignon Blanc Glass
Drink Within
2–3 days
Cellar
1–4 years
Prié Blanc is one of the oldest grape varieties of the Valle d'Aosta, first documented in 1691 in a sale of vines near the hamlet of Saint-Pierre. The name's origin is debated: one synonym, Blanc du Valdigne, points to the upper Aosta valley that climbs toward Mont Blanc, while another, Agostena, may derive either from Augusta Praetoria, the Latin name of Aosta, or from agosto, the early-August harvest window for this fast-ripening variety.
Genetic work has tied Prié Blanc to Spanish white grapes Albillo of Ribera del Duero and Lairén of Andalusia, and to Valle d'Aosta natives Mayolet, Primetta and Roussin de Morgex, all of which it has parented. Through Primetta it is also a grandparent of the Swiss Rouge du Pays.
In the vineyard, Prié Blanc is famously franco di piede: phylloxera does not survive at the 900 to 1200 metre altitudes of the upper Valdigne, so vines are ungrafted, trained low on traditional pergola systems that catch ground heat and protect young shoots from frost. The Valdigne clone is now the only one in commercial use, anchored to the communes of Morgex and La Salle.
Stylistically, the grape covers more ground than its small footprint suggests. The still version, Valle d'Aosta DOC Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, is bright, steely and floral. Classic-method spumante adds creamy length to that piercing acidity. A traditional flétri sweet wine and a rare ice wine, harvested in late December below freezing, complete the range from one of Europe's highest commercial vineyards.
Prié Blanc is a white wine grape native to Valle d'Aosta in north-west Italy, the only grape allowed in the Valle d'Aosta DOC Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle wines grown around the communes of Morgex and La Salle.
Prié Blanc wines are light-bodied, bone-dry and very high in acidity, with green apple, mountain herbs, mint, chlorophyll and white flowers, often finishing on a steely, mineral note.
Almost all Prié Blanc goes into the Valle d'Aosta DOC Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, which can be still, classic-method sparkling, or rarely a flétri sweet wine and an alpine ice wine.
Prié Blanc is grown almost exclusively in the upper Valdigne of Valle d'Aosta, between roughly 900 and 1200 metres above sea level around Morgex and La Salle, on ungrafted vines trained low on traditional pergolas.
At the 900 to 1200 metre altitudes of the upper Valdigne, the phylloxera root louse cannot survive, so Prié Blanc vines are franco di piede, planted on their own roots like most pre-phylloxera European vineyards once were.
The bright, high-acid still wine works with Valdostan classics like fontina fondue, polenta concia and freshwater fish; the classic-method sparkling handles aperitivo and prosciutto crudo, and the flétri sweet styles match aged blue cheeses and chestnut desserts.
No. Prié Blanc is a white grape grown in the upper Valle d'Aosta. Prié rouge is a different, unrelated variety; in Italian ampelography it is now identified with the local red grape Bonda.
Keep Exploring
Jump from Prié Blanc to the matching editorial wine-style guides.
