It has a pale, lively and decidedly persistent mousse; its perlage is fine and continuous. Its colour is yellow, with marked greenish reflections. The bouquet is ample and inviting, with rich notes of white flowers and ripe fruit (decana pears), along with subtle hints of chlorophyll and vanilla. The flavour echoes the sensations on the nose, and the aftertaste is tangy and satisfying. Its depth and remarkable harmony are evident in its splendid elegance and balance.
The Cuvee Brut is a delicious, predominantly Chardonnay sparkler with the elegante, lush mouth feel typical of Bellavista. It has a refined and elegant bouquet of lees and ripe pear and a beautifully balanced palate of pear and apple with integrated toast notes. Very creamy and rich without being heavy. We like this bottle even more than the one we tasted in 2008. In general, there is little variation over time as several vintages are blended together to produce a wine that is consistent in flavor and character.
Winery comment: The Bellavista Cuvée Brut - to which we dedicate our utmost care and attention - is undoubtedly the Franciacorta that we ask, in terms of quality and style, to act as an ambassador for the true worth of our area. It derives from the combination of at least 30 selections of wine: these come from more than 100 plots of land, cultivated in 10 different communes of the Franciacorta appellation. A significant proportion of the wines from which it is made up ferments and matures for seven months in small oak barrels. To this great amalgam of olfactory and gustatory variants we add the scents and flavours of the “reserve wines”, coming from between 6 and 9 earlier vintages. The precious contribution of these “reserve wines” serves to fine-tune Bellavista’s consistent, signature style and, especially, gives our Franciacorta Cuvée Brut its inimitable appeal and finesse. The grapes used are approximately 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco.
Italy’s Franciacorta DOCG, located in the rolling hills south of Lake Iseo in the province of Brescia, arguably makes the best European sparkling wine outside Champagne itself. The Bellavista winery has played a critical role in transforming the region into one of Italy’s most famous DOCGs. The transformation process began over three decades ago when Proprietor Vittorio Moretti started making wine as a hobby. In 1984 he produced his first sparkling wine, and today he manages a 190 hectare wine estate comprised of 107 different, organically farmed vineyard parcels. As in Champagne, grapes from diverse parcels are blended together to create a house style that remains relatively constant over time. Winemaker Mattia Vezzola uses the metodo clasico (similar to the methode champenoise) to produce several vintage and non-vintage sparkling wines. These wines are produced following DOCG regulations. Non-vintage Franciacorta wines must spend 18 months on the lees in bottle, while vintage Franciacorta wines must spend a minimum of 30 months on the lees. We earlier tasted Bellavista’s sparkling wines and reported the results in Report # 14, The World of Sparkling Wines and Champagne. In both that tasting and our current tasting, reported here, we find that Bellavista has a distinctive house style. Elegance, refinement and a super fine, creamy mouth feel are the hallmarks of that style. One is unlikely to mistake Bellavista for vintage French Champagne, but in terms of quality it compares favorably. Bellavista is imported by Empson USA Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia.
