Sparkling Franciacorta: The closest thing to Champagne

Been to Italy? Milan, Florence, Turin, Rome? Then you’ve surely come across one of those truly exclusive orange Bellavista bars in an expensive shopping street. Absolute top-tier Italian sparkling wine. It has nothing to do with Prosecco. Consequently, it can easily rival any major champagne in France, not only in quality but also in status. This Bellavista Franciacorta Brut “Alma” embodies the essence of the Franciacorta region near Lake Iseo. The region for top-quality Italian sparkling wine. Real champagne (like that made in France around Reims and Epernay) comes from the Franciacorta region in Italy. Between Milan and Verona, to the left of Lake Garda. Franciacorta DOCG wines are all made with a second fermentation in the bottle. Franciacorta is therefore NOT Prosecco!

The wine has a light yellow color with greenish accents and a fine, continuous mousse. The mousse is so fine! Not aggressive, but pleasantly tickling. Beautiful! It feels spacious and enveloping. The aromas on the nose range from ripe white fruit to fresh flowers, all served together with vanilla and soft pastry. On the palate, it has a beautiful minerality with a lovely light bitterness, fresh and lively, and very consistent. Long, harmonious finish. And complexity, as well as friendly and balanced. They really have a handle on sparkling wine at Bellavista. 

Blend

It is made of 79 % Chardonnay grapes, followed by 20% Pinot Nero and 1%  Pinot Bianco to round it off. At the winery, they blend  vintage selections and a few reserve wines from earlier harvests for consistent quality.  Also the fermentation and aging of a portion of these wines in small tanks are important. white oak barrels, which provide depth and complexity. According to our in-house sommelier, Bellavista has something of the refinement of a Blanc de Blanc Champagne. For example, that of Ruinart, only it is twice as expensive.... In other words: Bellavista is simply a bargain! 

This Bellavista Franciacorta Brut “Alma” is beautifully dry due to a low dosage of 5g per liter. Fantastic as an alternative to Champagne, slightly less crisp and delicious with antipasti or with wedding cake at an Italian wedding! We find it best enjoyed on a spring Saturday afternoon with aperitifs. What a delight!

The Bellavista house

Bellavista was founded in 1977 by a wealthy industrialist from Brescia, Vittorio Moretti, who saw great potential in this wine region. Bellavista now owns 117 hectares of vineyards, 108 of which are planted with the grape varieties for sparkling wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero. Just under 10 hectares are reserved for still wines. Here we find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera, and Nebbiolo. All grapes are hand-picked and processed. Naturally, the sparkling wine is made in the same way as a traditional Champagne. This means, among other things, the use of old wooden presses, such as those that were and still are common in the Champagne region. 40% of the pressed wine-in-the-making is aged in oak barrels. The Bellavista Franciacorta Brut “Alma” may not leave the cellar until he has spent at least three years on his bottle.

Winemaker Mattia Vezzola has the gift of realizing Moretti’s unique ideas. He produces wines and spumantes that excel in pure concentration, without compromising elegance. Moreover, at Bellavista, they believe that alongside all the attention paid to the final product, the wine packaging should be just as special and refined. This has resulted in a beautiful bottle, which, with its typically Italian design, possesses a very fitting appearance. In conclusion, with Bellavista Franciacorta Brut “Alma”, Italy has a sparkling wine that can rival the very best champagnes in status and quality.