ALEX DELLA VECCHIA
Rosso Fermo 2019
Veneto, Italy
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Alex’s vineyards in San Donà di Piave. The grapes here were destemmed and the wine fermented on the skins for a fortnight in concrete, before eight months of ageing in old botti. This is wonderfully lifted, with tart alpine berries, a gentle spice and a hint of tannin making it the perfect ‘ombra de vin’ to enjoy alongside a nice hunk of salame.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
In a short amount of time Alex Della Vecchia has proven himself to be a prodigious talent.
Having learned his craft alongside the late, great Ernesto Cattel of Costadilà, a highly respected, humble visionary who was single-handedly responsible for preserving the traditions of the Prosecco of old, Alex began his own project, Ombretta Agricola in 2017.
In 2010 he had planted two hectares of Pinot Nero on his family’s farm in Belluno, right at the foot of the Dolomites. He has since planted a further hectare of white varieties, with a focus on forgotten hybrids. This dramatic vineyard surrounded by mountains is planted over alluvial marl some six hundred metres above sea level, near the banks of the River Piave. The wines from this site are named Pedecastello, after the road that winds amongst the mountains.
A little further down the river in San Donà di Piave, Alex farms four hectares of Verduzzo Trevigiano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here the vines are thirty years old and planted over alluvial soils, just two hundred metres above and twenty kilometres from the Adriatic. These wines are bottled eponymously, as Ombretta Agricola.
He also rents three hectares in the Colli Euganei and along with organic grapes occasionally sourced from friends elsewhere in Italy, the fruit from these plants goes into his ‘Grinton’ series – a tribute to the rustic, vibrant vino da tavola of old.
No matter the grape or place, in the cantina, Alex takes a simple, yet considered approach to produce pure, nourishing and easygoing wines for drinking everyday.