From nature we learn the need for self-transformation, to revive our willpower and our thinking. From it we learn what it means to wait, we learn the gift of patience and the pleasure of generosity. Nature itself is the greatest utopia. It is the best of all possible worlds. It is the essence of everything that is ‘lacking’ and every ‘not yet’.

FRANCESCA MORETTI

GENTLE OENOLOGY AND A MULTITUDE OF GRAPE SELECTIONS

Grapes are made in the vineyard, but wine is made in the winery. And it is the artistry, manual skills and understanding of the winery experts to honour the grapes during fermentation and ageing. The production processes fully respect the raw materials, starting from the soft pressing, which is essential in keeping the specific characteristics of each vineyard intact. These are slow and meticulous phases, requiring several hours of commitment and constant supervision by the winery staff. The transfer of the must either into oak pièce or steel, for the first fermentation, is a careful choice made by the oenologists. Observing the raw material, understanding its evolution, decreeing its character and interpreting its temperament is the challenge of every harvest. Each base wine expresses a character, and each character requires a different treatment. Each harvest marks a new beginning and has no pre-established rules; the harmony of the whole is obtained only by respecting the nature of the musts right up to the ritual of the creation of the cuvée. This very delicate and complex phase requires the writing of a new score every year to confirm the unequivocal style of the winery, remain faithful to the characteristics of the harvest, and guarantee the constancy of each wine’s sensory profile.

SILENT AGEING

The second fermentation and the ageing period begin in the silence of the cellars. The cuvées rest, in contact with the lees, and gradually their tertiary scents ripen and their perlage is fine tuned. To avoid disturbing the natural evolution of each wine, it is essential that the bottles are protected from light, heat and noise, and rest in an environment with constant temperature and humidity. They therefore find an ideal home in the two kilometres of tunnels dug deep down into the earth where, being underground and insulated by subterranean walls, they require no artificial conditioning, instead harnessing the natural temperature and humidity of the environment. A secret path starts from the entrance and traverses the hill until it reaches the old winery in the Moretti home. This is where it all began and where today the most precious wines are still kept, the rare reserves acting as a reminder of their age-old origins. In this maze-like system, special galleries are dedicated to large formats, Vittorio Moretti Riserva, Meraviglioso, and to the Inedita collections: rarefied treasures cocooned in a cosy embrace, where each bottle, shrouded in pitch-dark silence, develops its personality to the full.

OUR STYLE: PERFECT HARMONY

A harmony that comes from the close alliance between man and nature, where the creativity and sensitivity of the former welcomes the potential of the latter, with no undue distraction or force. Bellavista’s style stems from the incessant repetition of gestures that may also harness technology but are not obliged to do so and allow themselves to be unquestioningly guided by the sensitivity and skill of man. The remuage, carried out mainly by hand, as well as the disgorgement of the sediment from the Riserva wines, are the emblem of a philosophy that focuses on craftsman-like creativity and care, a priceless heritage of tradition and expertise that constitutes the cultural identity of the winery. Tailor-made wines, musical scores that are rewritten every year with absolute respect for the fresh raw materials; works of art that interpret the seasons and embody entire terroirs. Today, it is Francesca’s oenological insights that are the guardians of Bellavista’s philosophy. At her side is Richard Geoffroy, mentor and cellar master, and a team of young technicians and oenologists who decided to believe in the founder’s dream: the concrete utopia of Vittorio Moretti.