Winemaker Notes
This cuvée embodies the quintessence of Franciacorta and the ideal harmony behind every Bellavista Franciacorta Method wine. It is made from mostly chardonnay grapes, followed by pinot nero and a small proportion of pinot bianco. At the winery, it is assembled by capable hands from many vintage selections and a few reserve wines from previous harvests, an essential treasure that perpetuates the winery’s style through time. Also important are the fermentation and elevage of part of these wines in small white oak barrels, which impart depth and complexity.
The wine is a straw yellow color with greenish highlights and a fine, continuous bead. Ample and enveloping, the aromas range from ripe fruit to fresh flowers, all the way to vanilla and pastry. In the mouth, it is mineral and sensorily complete, fresh and vibrant, and very consistent from an aromatic perspective. Long, harmonious finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
An elegant Franciacorta, with the refined, pointillismlike mousse, well-honed acidity and subtle streak of salinity framing flavors of poached white cherry, yellow plum, Meyer lemon peel and pickled ginger, plus a touch of toasted brioche. Hints of smoke, oyster shell and spices play on the lingering finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco. Drink now through 2034.
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James Suckling
Aromas of acacia honey, white pepper, green apples and lemon pulp with fresh dough. Firm acidity with a lean body, yet a fine, creamy mousse. Good finish.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Containing an exciting mix of wine producing subregions, Lombardy is Italy’s largest in size and population. Good quality Pinot noir, Bonarda and Barbera have elevated the reputation of the plains of Oltrepò Pavese. To its northeast in the Alps, Valtellina is the source of Italy’s best Nebbiolo wines outside of Piedmont. Often missed in the shadow of Prosecco, Franciacorta produces collectively Italy’s best Champagne style wines, and for the fun and less serious bubbly, find Lambrusco Mantovano around the city of Mantua. Lugana, a dry white with a devoted following, is produced to the southwest of Lake Garda.