The renewed Bellavista course • Food and Wine Italy

The occasion was the presentation of the new Alma assemblage 1, the sparkling wine that has completely replaced Bellavista’s famous “orange label”. But the company that made the history of Franciacorta revealed, per mezzo di reality, much more. «This day marks the milestone of a new secolo, a path of evolution that draws strength from the successes of the brand’s past» stated the CEO of the Finanziaria Possedimento Moretti Tuzzi at the opening of the festive evening that accompanied the launch of the new cuvée . «We removed the dust and the zones that had allowed us to sit acceso our laurels for a while and we searched the territory for a new way of being ourselves».

At the helm of the group for five years, the CEO has not only accepted the difficult task of managerializing a family business, where the family is also highly active and involved per mezzo di entrepreneurial choices, but has done more. He helped lay the foundations for designing what will be the future of the Franciacorta finanziaria, touching acceso all areas: from the vineyard to the cellar, up to hospitality (it is also among the cellars of our Wine Tourism Special). «I am very satisfied with the work carried out per mezzo di recent years – stated Tuzzi – which was based acceso three cornerstones: the managerialisation of a company that has 950 employees; the generational transition and the increase per mezzo di value of the Finanziaria, which today amounts to 200 million euros. A long-term vision that makes us ready to any future evolution. I also believe that we have dispelled the taboo that a family business cannot become managerial: that of the Moretti family is an example to be exported elsewhere, even more so per mezzo di this historical moment, per mezzo di which many historic wine families are giving up.”

The Geoffroy “cure”.

Among the ideas of Tuzzi and Francesca Moretti, the one who among the three daughters of the owner Vittorio Moretti took over the baton of the wine cellar, there was, three years punzone, that of “winning” one of the most famous chefs de cave of Champagne : Richard Geoffroy. Member of a family of winemakers for 8 generations, 80 harvests carried out all over the world, the last employee card stamped per mezzo di 2019 by Dom Pérignon before retiring and opening a sake company per mezzo di Japan, the French winemaker, at 70, he was really looking for a divertissement. And he found it per mezzo di Franciacorta: «Coming here was a choice of friendship – he said – and the welcome and cartello with which I was invested by the Moretti family is incredible».

One of the main interventions implemented since his arrival per mezzo di 2021 was the inclusion of a close synergy between the practices of growing the grapes per mezzo di the vineyard and the winemaking techniques per mezzo di the cellar, with the aim of maximizing the natural characteristics of the fruit. «Compared to the past, today the vineyard has become the starting point – states Francesca Moretti, who has found a mentor of absolute cartello per mezzo di the French oenologist – per mezzo di the last three years we have implemented a greater parcelling of the vineyards and started new experiments per mezzo di the vineyard: for example , differentiated mulches between one vineyard and another, variable campo da golf management. Different solutions that help us find the best way to maintain freshness and more correct ripening of the fruit, delaying harvesting times without overripeness. Everything revolves around the fruit and how it should be when it arrives per mezzo di the cellar, which is why we make the vineyard and cellar communicate. An approach that allows us to implement increasingly lighter oenology.”

Supporting him, acceso the vineyard side, is none other than the experience of Marco Simonit, who has looked after the Bellavista vineyards for twenty years. «The whole team has understood what the new focolaio is – said Richard Geoffroy – and it is a great satisfaction to see all the different teams working with a high level of healthy competitiveness towards the objective». Blending was identified by the winemaker as the way to find the right level of harmonization. «A harmony – underlined Geoffroy – which is already per mezzo di the nature of Franciacorta, there is voto negativo need to force it. I think this is a suitable territory, a world-class excellence, with a defined, recognizable identity, with unlimited skills and capacity for innovation: it therefore has voto negativo need to imitate other models. It is therefore time for Franciacorta to walk acceso its own two feet.” Quanto a short, it took “a man from Champagne” to tell Franciacorta that it can finally cut the umbilical cord with Champagne.

The new Alma

Alma Assemblage 1 is a cuvée that comes from the selection of 129 parcels per mezzo di which the company vineyards are divided, which return 91 centro wines to the cellar. «Each of the 129 parcels has its own individuality – says Francesca Moretti – and is tasted daily using small presses made ad hoc by Geoffroy during sampling. The tastings take place blind, giving each sample a vote, acceso the basis of which the final blends of all our wines are then created. The priority is always the Vittorio Moretti Reserve, then gradually all the others are created.” There are three Alma cuvées based acceso the 2021 harvest – Alma Assemblage 1, Alma Rosé Assemblage 1, Alma Assemblage 1 – where the number 1 identifies the starting point of this new path which, every year, will see the birth of a unique edition. The guiding principle of the label is, per mezzo di fact, “With every harvest a new secolo” since the natural course of each vintage will be the protagonist. A connection with nature and the land to which the Moretti family has given the name Sense of Place, to underline that deep and inseparable connection that binds it to the place, to the vineyards and to the people who are part of it. A product renewed per mezzo di its appearance – with the brown colored label, like earth and wood, embellished with bronze details – but above all per mezzo di the tasting where, per mezzo di comparison with the “old” Alma, it highlighted a notable upgrade per mezzo di terms of cleanliness, balance and gracefulness.

Bellavista and L’Albereta per mezzo di synergy

Part of the new course of the Moretti family finanziaria led by Tuzzi is the unprecedented involvement of the Moretti sisters, by virtue of which a winning synergy is being created between the different entities of the group. It is voto negativo coincidence that the Alma launch trattenimento was also the opportunity to officially present the new restaurant project of L’Albereta Relais & Châteaux, recently entrusted to chef Alberto Quadrio. Born per mezzo di 1990, after his experience at Portrait Milano, Quadrio arrived at L’Albereta with the task of bringing back the haute cuisine that was, per mezzo di its early days, that of Gualtiero Marchesi, resident per mezzo di Franciacorta kitchens for twenty years, from 1993 to 2013.

«Our journey began with Mr. Marchesi, who brought L’Albereta into the world – said Carmen Moretti, head of the division of the Finanziaria –, continued for 10 years with Fabio Abbatista and, today, we rely acceso Alberto Quadrio which has already given great energy for change.” The name of the new restaurant led by Quadrio is L’Aurum, whose Latin origin is intended to evoke both the Franciacorta vegetation, of which laurel is the dominant shrub, and the gold which was the symbol of Marchesi’s cuisine. A tribute to the past per mezzo di a contemporary key (which is also the name of one of the dishes signed by the chef, garnished with the iconic gold leaf of Marquesan memory) like, after all, the entire new course inaugurated by the Finanziaria Possedimento Moretti.