Storia
Earlier roots of local viticulture
The family project belongs to a much older viticultural landscape. Property-transfer documents dating to the 13th century already referred to the vineyards of “Blanc de Morgex.” Prié Blanc continued to be cultivated at high altitude around Morgex and La Salle, traditionally on low pergolas and on its own roots.
1999: the beginning of the estate
Ermes Pavese began the winery in 1999, drawing on his family’s agricultural experience and advice from Marziano Vevey, a historic producer of Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle. The business expanded within a few years and entered foreign markets.
2001: the first expansion of the range
In 2001 the original Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle was joined by Nathan, a barrique-aged interpretation of the appellation, and Ninive, made from overripe grapes. These releases established a three-wine range early in the estate’s development.
2010: cellar enlargement and Le 7 Scalinate
An enlarged cellar was inaugurated in 2010. The occasion also marked the presentation of Le 7 Scalinate – Carlo Pavese, sourced from one vineyard in the terraced area of Morgex known as “le 7 scalinate.” The wine commemorates Ermes’s uncle Carlo, who had supported and believed in the project from its beginning but had died several years earlier.
2012: first traditional-method sparkling wine
The first Metodo Classico carrying the Pavese name was released in 2012.
2017: frost, an exceptional wine and agricultural diversification
An early spring followed by severe April frost prevented production of the regular Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle. The growing season had also included unusually warm February and March weather, below-average April temperatures, cold conditions in May and June, and a dry summer. Only about 1% of the expected crop survived—a reported loss of 99%. The remaining grapes became Unopercento, vinified through a long maceration without machinery in recollection of the way Ermes’s grandfather had made wine.
The same year brought diversification beyond wine through the creation of Nathan Pavese’s agricultural business, which operated alongside the winery for several years. Agricultural products became a continuing part of the family enterprise.
2020: restoration and the next generation
During the pandemic, the family completed the restoration of the old Le 7 Scalinate vineyard. The work was conceived partly to make possible exclusive tasting experiences among the vines. Ninive joined the family team in the same year.
2024: a broader range and a unified family enterprise
By 2024 the range had expanded to include Esseme, matured in ceramic vessels, and Esprit fou, a sparkling wine retaining its fermentation sediment. The agricultural and wine businesses were then merged to create Pavese e Figli s.s. agricola. Ermes’s children Nathan and Ninive now work alongside him in different roles, giving the family enterprise a two-generation structure.
Terroir
Morgex and the Valdigne
Morgex lies at 920 metres in the centre of the Valdigne. The town occupies relatively level ground, while its outlying settlements extend across both sides of the valley. Most cultivation is on the sunny adrèt; conifer forests predominate on the shaded revers. The Dora Baltea runs through the municipality and forms the natural division between these two sides.
La Salle
Prié Blanc is also cultivated in La Salle, whose centre stands on a plateau above the bed of the Dora Baltea. Although the municipality extends across both valley sides, settlement and most cultivation are concentrated on the adrèt. Vineyards occur mainly near the town centre and in the hamlets of Echarlod and Villaret.
Viticulture has a historically concentrated zone in Morgex. In La Salle, vineyards are more dispersed and are commonly fragmented among other agricultural crops.
Altitude, climate and soils
The estate’s wine-growing zone extends from approximately 900 to 1,200 metres above sea level. The mountain climate is cool, dry and strongly ventilated. Soils are described as sandy mountain soils. Night temperatures can be severe, one reason for retaining the traditional low-pergola training system.
Prié Blanc’s altitude protects it from several pests, including phylloxera. The variety is consequently cultivated franco di piede, on its own roots rather than grafted onto American rootstock. It is presented as one of Europe’s highest-grown grape varieties.
The entire DOC area planted to Prié Blanc around Morgex and La Salle covers 29 hectares; this figure describes the appellation as a whole, not Ermes Pavese’s individual holdings.
Vinificazione
Prié Blanc is cultivated at approximately 900–1,200 metres on traditional low pergolas. Keeping the canopy close to the ground helps shield grapes from severe mountain night temperatures. The variety remains on its own roots: altitude protects the vines from several pests, including phylloxera, making grafting onto American rootstock unnecessary.
Harvesting is manual. The principal harvest window runs from the beginning of September through the beginning of October, according to the intended style and parcel. Fruit for the overripe expression is left on the vine through repeated frosts and picked in early December at temperatures between −5°C and −10°C.
The family continues to invest in increasing planted vineyard area and consolidating fragmented landholdings. Publicly supported purchases of agricultural machinery and other movable assets were intended to facilitate environmentally respectful field operations and support quality-focused management.
Cellar development and fruit handling
The cellar was enlarged in 2010. Production is centred on Prié Blanc, but the family employs several distinct cellar paths. Whole, non-destemmed bunches are commonly pressed, with soft pressing used for selected lots and sparkling bases. Selected old-vine fruit can receive a 48-hour cold maceration at 5°C before gentle pressing. Another approach begins with destemmed fruit for extended maturation in ceramic vessels.
Stainless steel, oak and ceramic
The principal stainless-steel route uses controlled fermentation followed by several pump-overs. The wine remains for about nine months in a large steel tank, is bottled and rests for approximately another month before release.
Selected lots undergo fermentation in previously used French-oak barriques with frequent bâtonnage. After one year in wood, the barrels are blended into stainless steel for a further year, followed by one year in bottle. A separate old-vine route uses cold maceration, hand pressing, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel and frequent bâtonnage; it is bottled after one year and receives an additional year of bottle maturation.
Ceramic production uses clayver vessels for both fermentation and two years of maturation. The ceramic is intended to allow the wine to develop without contributing the aromatic signatures associated with wood. Bottle maturation lasts a further year.
Bottle-refermented and traditional-method sparkling production
For the sediment-bearing sparkling style, whole non-destemmed bunches are softly pressed. Fermentation begins in stainless steel, is interrupted, and then restarts and finishes in bottle. The wine remains unfiltered, retaining its yeasts and sediment, and spends approximately nine months in bottle.
Traditional-method wines begin with soft pressing of whole, non-destemmed bunches and a first fermentation in steel. The base wine remains on fine lees for about nine to ten months before bottling with selected natural yeasts for the second fermentation. Time on lees varies between 24, 36 and 48 months before disgorgement. The bottles are topped with wine from the same vintage rather than with added sugar; the range includes vintage, pas dosé expressions.
Overripe and frost-affected fruit
Grapes retained until December are picked frozen after repeated frosts at between −5°C and −10°C. They are pressed while frozen so that compacted ice yields a more concentrated must. The wine then spends one year in stainless steel and one year in bottle.
The exceptional 2017 crop followed a different historical model: the approximately 1% of expected fruit that survived the season was vinified without machinery and underwent a long maceration, recalling the method used by Ermes Pavese’s grandfather.
Grappa
Prié Blanc pomace is processed by Distilleria Levi in a discontinuous bain-marie still.
Filosofia
Ermes Pavese frames the enterprise as a family project rooted in agriculture and open to new directions. Nathan and Ninive have gradually joined their father in different roles, extending the original wine business into a more diversified agricultural enterprise.
The family describes agriculture as a combination of hard work, passion and dedication, but also satisfaction and enjoyment. Its stated aim is to work seriously and as well as possible while retaining an element of “necessary madness.” That balance is reflected in the coexistence of traditional practices—own-rooted Prié Blanc, low pergolas, manual harvesting and long-established family techniques—with experiments involving ceramic vessels, bottle fermentation with retained sediment and several lengths of traditional-method ageing.
Investment priorities include increasing vineyard holdings, consolidating fragmented plots, expanding the machinery fleet and managing cultivation in a way intended to respect the environment. The restoration of Le 7 Scalinate also connects preservation of old vines with direct experiences in the vineyard.