Bellavista

REVIEWED 2024

James Suckling – 92
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. Disgorged 2024. Drink now.

REVIEWED 2023 

Vinous – 90
The NV Brut Franciacorta Alma Grande Cuveé is a total pleasure on the nose, wafting ip with vivid yellow apple, peach skins and white flowers. It glides across the palate, mixing sweet spices with a mineral-tinged orchard fruits guided by vibrant acitdity. This Tapers off long with clean yet with a savory, salty sensation that keeps me looking back to the glass for more.

Wine Enthusiast – 90
Lifted aromas of spiced apples, wild mint, lilies and ginger draw you into the glass of this fresh sparkling wine. The palate shows baked orchard fruits with roasted nuts, cream and finishing with a bright pop of acidity.

REVIEWED 2022

James Suckling – 92
Always a pleasing sparkling, with aromas of biscuits, almonds, apricot stones and lemons. Creamy and soft, yet fresh and tangy, with a medium body and fine bubbles. Dry. Drink now.

Wine Spectator – 90
A minerally, linear version, with a finely detailed mousse and rapier like acidity driving a subtle weave of melon, Meyer lemon peel, toast point and white blossom notes. Drink now. 90,000 cases made.

VINTAGE 2019

Gambero Rosso – 3 bicchieri 2025

James Suckling – 95
Elegant nose of restrained lemon curd, limes, acacia honey and pastry. Full-flavored palate with zesty acidity, fine pinprick mousse, medium body and great length. Disgorged 2023. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast – 92
This Franciacorta charms with a pretty, fresh bouquet and crisp, crushed apple aromas stuffed in a spiced brioche. The palate is loaded with fresh and baked orchard fruit aromas that lead to a lively, and refreshing finish with well-balanced acidity and fine bubbles.

Wine Spectator – 93
Rich opening notes of apricot tart, marzipan and vanilla-infused pastry cream expand on the finely detailed mousse, animated by a well-honed frame of Meyer lemon peel acidity. Lavish yet focused and nicely trimmed, with ripe fruit, smoke and toast elements echoing on the clean-cut finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2029.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 92
The 2018 Brut Franciacorta Teatro alla Scala lifts from the glass with a savory blend of dusty dried flowers, field grasses and hints of brioche. This is chieseled in geel with energizing acidity and a reverberation of zesty bubbles that tantalize the senses. Sour citrus puckers the cheecks as a tinge of spicy ginger lingers on.

Wine Advocate – 91
The Bellavista 2018 Franciacorta Brut La Scala (tasted from magnum) is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Nero with fruit from as many as 50 separate vineyard parcels. The wine is recognized by its black label and a little red seal that reads La Scala for the famed Teatro alla Scala opera house in nearby Milan. Some 110,000 bottles were made. This is a mid-weight sparkler with toasted nut and almond to frame orchard fruit and Golden Delicious apple.

REVIEWED 2023 

Vinous – 91
Freshly sliced green apples, mint and sweet smoke waft up from the NV Franciacorta Non-Dosato Grande Cuvée Alma. It washes across the palate with mineral-tinged bubbles offset by succulently ripe orchard fruits. This leaves thew senses completely refreshed, crisp and with amazing lenght, as a salty tinge contrasts lime zest and sweet spices slowly fade.

REVIEWED 2022

James Suckling – 92
Notes of peach skins, dried apples, toasted almonds and dried blood orange. Some buttered toast, too. Full-bodied with creamy texture and delicate fizz. Crunchy stone fruit character and a round, chalky mouth-feel. Silky finish with mineral notes. Drink now.

REVIEWED 2021

James Suckling – 92
A medium-bodied sparkling with aromas of dried apple, lemon zest, blanched almonds, tofu and chalk. Fresh, dry and focused with fine bubbles and lingering almond notes.

REVIEWED 2019

Wine Advocate – 92
The NV Franciacorta Grande Cuvée Alma Non Dosato opens to a very dry and crisp bouquet with tones of citrus, melon, quince and fresh pear. As the wine opens in the glass, you get faint aromas of baked bread or French pastry. This classy Franciacorta sparkler from Northern Italy produces fine and steady beading that forms a light foam at the top.

VINTAGE 2018

Wine Enthusiast – 93
Notes of strawberry, cranberry and fresh rose create a lifted and vibrant aromatic profile. The wine exhibits a touch of blood orange zest finishing with crisp acidity, a lively perlage and an enduring finish.

VINTAGE 2017

James Suckling – 93
Aromas of pink cherries, peach skins, toasted bread, dried orange peels and nutty undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, lively and focused. Firm texture and crunchy acidity with notes of peach pit and minerals. Bright finish with some salinity to it. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2018

Wine Enthusiast – 93
Bright and crisp orchard fruits, accompanied by lemon zest, burst from the glass. Light yeast notes add complexity, while good crunchy acidity provides freshness. The wine is fruit-forward, with a light minerality and a hint of yellow flower.

VINTAGE 2017

Wine Advocate – 92
Tasted from magnum, the Bellavista 2017 Franciacorta Pas Operé Extra Brut (in the bottle with the light purple label and capsule) is 64% Chardonnay and 36% Pinot Nero with fruit selection honed down to about 25 specific vineyard plots. Production is 30,000 bottles. You get an easy sparkler with fun, citrusy aromas and spicy beading. The wine’s natural acidity helps to drive its mid-weight palate.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 95
Grapefruit, bread crust, biscuits and dried apples on the nose, with a touch of coriander and walnut. It’s medium-bodied with very fine, broad bubbles. Rich, dry and delicious with a long and nutty finish. Drink or hold.

VINTAGE 2013 

Wine Enthusiast – 93
Chamomile, yellow-pear, citrus-zest and bread-crust aromas shape the nose on this blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Nero. On the elegantly structured, creamy palate, a refined perlage accompanies mature yellow apple, orange rind, walnut and vanilla. Fresh acidity brightens the rich flavors.