Bellavista
This estate makes Italy's finest sparkling wines from the Franciacorta zone in a natural amphitheatre. The glacial soil is full of stones, and provides the ideal environment for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes used in the production of their Franciacorta. Bellavista, meaning 'beautiful view' in Italian, was founded by Vittorio Moretti in the early 1970s, with the first vintage produced in 1979. In 1981, he met a young winemaker, Mattia Vezzola and this partnership transformed Bellavista into Italy's leading producer of quality sparkling wine.
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 consistant 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.
Made in the 'traditional method', the different parcels of wine are all vinified separately. 15% of the wines used in the blend are fermented and then matured for seven months in small oak barrels. These wines are then blended with the "reserve wines", which come from between six and nine earlier vintages. Once blended, the wine is bottled and the second fermentation takes place in bottle. It is then left to age on the lees for two and a half years before release. The contribution of the reserve wines ensures Bellavista's consistent, signature style in every bottle.
