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Lacrima is an ancient red-wine grape originating and still wholly (or nearly so) produced in the town of Morro d’Alba in the province of Ancona, in the Marche (“the Marches”) region of Italy.
There can be some confusion about the name: the grape is simply Lacrima, but the wine made from it is legally Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, so the grape is often called that as well. According to Italian wine laws, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba must contain at least 85% Lacrima, but in practice it is usually 100%.
(Do not confuse Lacrima di Morro d’Alba wines with the like-named but wholly unrelated red “Lacryma Christi” wines, which are made with the Piedirosso grape.)
Lacrima is yet another of those seemingly countless wonderful Italian wine grapes that, after a long history, nearly vanished (a mere 2.5 acres planted as of 1985) over the last hundred years or so—a period initiated by the phylloxera crisis of the late 19th Century in Europe—but was saved and resuscitated by a small handful of dedicated partisans.
Lacrima wines are typically quite dark in color, but soft and low in tannins (meaning they are best consumed young). But far and away their most distinguishing characteristic is their powerful aroma: a deeply floral nose, with violets and roses especially emphasized. The palate is said to be spices overlaying dark fruit and a hint of vanilla. That floral nose is so strong that it puts some people off; as one wine retailer put it, “It’s a polarizing wine. You either love it or you hate it.”
Factoid: In 1167, Frederick Barbarossa captured Ancona, and is said to thereafter have become enamored of the wines of this grape.
“Lacrima is an ancient and local grape that is rarely found outside of the town of Morro d’Alba. The wine is only produced by a handful of estates…”According to the DOC laws, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba must contain at least 85% Lacrima. According to [winemaker] Joseph Bastianich, the wine is a soft, dolcetto-like red wine.
“Lacrima di Morro (Lacrima di Morro d’Alba in full) is a distinctively scented red wine from Marche, central Italy. It is produced from the ancient Lacrima grape variety, in the area surrounding the hilltop village of Morro d’Alba. The wine’s floral bouquet recalls lavender, roses and violets, over heavier notes of stewed strawberries. No less impressive are the flavors, which are redolent of vanilla-tinged blueberry brioche with a hint of sweet spice (cinnamon). Although typically mid-bodied, dry and relatively tannic, the wine can also be produced in a sweet passito style.”
“The Lacrima of Morro d’Alba produces intense ruby red wines with purple hues. The nose is aromatic, distinctive with notes of violets, with aging the olfactory notes evolve to strawberry, cherry, blackberries, blueberries. Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is medium bodied and on the palate is dry, with smooth tannins.”
“The wine is quite popular because of its idiosyncratic fragrance which epitomizes the floral bouquet adorned with roses, violets and lavender along with the heavy notes of stewed sweet strawberries. The flavours of the wine are also quite strong and impressive. The wine oozes out a strong flavours, vanilla-tinged blueberry brioche carrying a slight hint of cinnamon (sweet spice).”
[Writing of one particular bottling:] “To my taste, the grapes may as well have exuded thousands of tiny potpourri satchels, because the wine smells as if someone steeped these satchels in the fermenting juice: there’s dried roses, lilies, violets, lavender, juniper, what I think myrtle berries must smell like, plus cinnamon sticks and allspice—the whole shebang in there. A wine this strong could get scary without a kick of acid to lift it up and carry it along, but once you get past the freaky-potent aromatics, the wine lights up with a great streak of acidity. The tannins are mellow but not absent, giving it a soft texture, cruising along in stride with black pepper, Red Hots, and star anise. The whole thing finishes with a slathering of blackberry jam bringing up the rear.”
“These wines are usually made without refinement in wood, using carbonic maceration technique and being placed on the market in the following vintage, in other words: are fresh wines with intense and unmistakable varietal aromas, of medium-bodied nature.”
“The incredibly rare and ancient Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a grape that divides the crowd, polarising like no other varietal, it is the wine world’s cilantro. People simply love it or hate it, and after that very first impression there is very little one can do to convince that person otherwise…The nose is what really sets the wines made from this grape apart. Many speak of the bouquet being akin to potpourri, but I almost always find explosions of perfumed violets, both the floral violet scent and that of the old school British Parma Violet candy (or sweets, as we refer to them there)…Although many examples of Lacrima di Morro d’Alba smell sweet and floral, the palate in most of the examples I have experienced has been bone dry, with a pleasant rasping acidity, and soft manageable tannins. The more serious examples from low-yielding older vines can be dark and complex and are well worth seeking out if you fancy a purple and perfumed walk on the Wilde side.”
[Writing of one particular bottling:] “The wine has a dark, opaque center that is bright purple at the rim. It is inky and intensely saturated. On the nose, it smelled like roses…like a huge room full of roses…like a rose garden hermetically sealed in a room with rose potpourri. There was also some boysenberry jam fruit, but the overwhelming sensation was floral. The wine is full bodied with kind of a thick texture, nice acid and firm but soft tannins. Right out of the bottle, it tasted kind of hollow…all structure with no fruit. After I let it breathe for a bit, though, it filled out…I have in my notes that it tastes like a rosebud dipped in boysenberry jam. Even a few weeks removed from having tasted this wine, all I can really remember about it was the overwhelming sensation of roses.”
“The color is ruby red with violet reflexes. The wine aroma is pleasant with notes of roses, violets, red and white flowers, and with an inkling of red fruits. Its flavors are harmonic with scents of fruits and flowers.”
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Some Descriptions of Lacrima Wines
“Lacrima is an ancient and local grape that is rarely found outside of the town of Morro d’Alba. The wine is only produced by a handful of estates…”According to the DOC laws, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba must contain at least 85% Lacrima. According to [winemaker] Joseph Bastianich, the wine is a soft, dolcetto-like red wine.
“Lacrima di Morro (Lacrima di Morro d’Alba in full) is a distinctively scented red wine from Marche, central Italy. It is produced from the ancient Lacrima grape variety, in the area surrounding the hilltop village of Morro d’Alba. The wine’s floral bouquet recalls lavender, roses and violets, over heavier notes of stewed strawberries. No less impressive are the flavors, which are redolent of vanilla-tinged blueberry brioche with a hint of sweet spice (cinnamon). Although typically mid-bodied, dry and relatively tannic, the wine can also be produced in a sweet passito style.”
“The Lacrima of Morro d’Alba produces intense ruby red wines with purple hues. The nose is aromatic, distinctive with notes of violets, with aging the olfactory notes evolve to strawberry, cherry, blackberries, blueberries. Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is medium bodied and on the palate is dry, with smooth tannins.”
“The wine is quite popular because of its idiosyncratic fragrance which epitomizes the floral bouquet adorned with roses, violets and lavender along with the heavy notes of stewed sweet strawberries. The flavours of the wine are also quite strong and impressive. The wine oozes out a strong flavours, vanilla-tinged blueberry brioche carrying a slight hint of cinnamon (sweet spice).”
[Writing of one particular bottling:] “To my taste, the grapes may as well have exuded thousands of tiny potpourri satchels, because the wine smells as if someone steeped these satchels in the fermenting juice: there’s dried roses, lilies, violets, lavender, juniper, what I think myrtle berries must smell like, plus cinnamon sticks and allspice—the whole shebang in there. A wine this strong could get scary without a kick of acid to lift it up and carry it along, but once you get past the freaky-potent aromatics, the wine lights up with a great streak of acidity. The tannins are mellow but not absent, giving it a soft texture, cruising along in stride with black pepper, Red Hots, and star anise. The whole thing finishes with a slathering of blackberry jam bringing up the rear.”
“These wines are usually made without refinement in wood, using carbonic maceration technique and being placed on the market in the following vintage, in other words: are fresh wines with intense and unmistakable varietal aromas, of medium-bodied nature.”
“The incredibly rare and ancient Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a grape that divides the crowd, polarising like no other varietal, it is the wine world’s cilantro. People simply love it or hate it, and after that very first impression there is very little one can do to convince that person otherwise…The nose is what really sets the wines made from this grape apart. Many speak of the bouquet being akin to potpourri, but I almost always find explosions of perfumed violets, both the floral violet scent and that of the old school British Parma Violet candy (or sweets, as we refer to them there)…Although many examples of Lacrima di Morro d’Alba smell sweet and floral, the palate in most of the examples I have experienced has been bone dry, with a pleasant rasping acidity, and soft manageable tannins. The more serious examples from low-yielding older vines can be dark and complex and are well worth seeking out if you fancy a purple and perfumed walk on the Wilde side.”
[Writing of one particular bottling:] “The wine has a dark, opaque center that is bright purple at the rim. It is inky and intensely saturated. On the nose, it smelled like roses…like a huge room full of roses…like a rose garden hermetically sealed in a room with rose potpourri. There was also some boysenberry jam fruit, but the overwhelming sensation was floral. The wine is full bodied with kind of a thick texture, nice acid and firm but soft tannins. Right out of the bottle, it tasted kind of hollow…all structure with no fruit. After I let it breathe for a bit, though, it filled out…I have in my notes that it tastes like a rosebud dipped in boysenberry jam. Even a few weeks removed from having tasted this wine, all I can really remember about it was the overwhelming sensation of roses.”
“The color is ruby red with violet reflexes. The wine aroma is pleasant with notes of roses, violets, red and white flowers, and with an inkling of red fruits. Its flavors are harmonic with scents of fruits and flowers.”