In the glass
Aroma: candied lemon, yellow peach, brioche, toasted hazelnut, white truffle
Palate: ripe yellow apple, lemon curd, patisserie cream, saline minerality
The deepest of Bellavista's Vintage tier (Pas Operé means 'extended on lees with low dosage'). Chardonnay-led with 60 months autolysis and a saline, patisserie-cream finish.
What it pairs with
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Risotto al tartufo bianco
Find risotto al tartufo bianco on TableJourney →
Sixty months on lees give the wine the autolytic creaminess to carry white truffle aromatics over Carnaroli rice. -
Capesante in conchiglia
Pan-seared scallops in their shell find a foil in the wine's saline minerality; patisserie cream pairs with the buttery sauce. -
Aged Comté
Crystallised mountain cow's cheese with brown butter notes echoes the wine's toasted hazelnut and brioche.
History
The Pas Operé sits between the Vintage Satèn/Rosé and the Riserva Vittorio Moretti. The name signals an extra-brut, extra-aged statement of Bellavista's single-vintage Chardonnay.
- 1984 — First Pas Operé vintage
Facts
- Producer
- Bellavista
- Grapes
- Chardonnay (80%), Pinot Nero (20%)
- Classification
- DOCG Franciacorta Extra Brut
- Oak
- Vinified partly in small oak barrels; minimum 60 months on lees in bottle
- ABV
- 12.5%
- Price
- EUR 60 to 85 at retail
- Drinking window
- 0-12 from disgorgement
- First vintage
- 1984
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Bellavista Vintage Pas Operé
What does Bellavista Pas Operé taste like?
Candied lemon, yellow peach, brioche, toasted hazelnut and white truffle on the nose; ripe yellow apple, lemon curd, patisserie cream and saline minerality on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long finish from 60 months on lees.
What does Pas Operé mean?
The Bellavista house term for an Extra Brut Vintage with extended lees ageing (60 months). The name signals a low-dosage, autolytic style sitting between the Vintage Satèn and the Riserva Vittorio Moretti.
When should I drink Pas Operé?
Drink from release to 12 years from disgorgement. The autolytic patisserie and saline finish reward an additional 2 to 5 years of bottle ageing post-release.