Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC
Grape Lacrima

The Santa Maria was so impressive this year that we left the Superiore behind. It has that Turkish delight and lavender nose which makes it totally unique. A brilliant wine to get in a blind tasting. Stefano does push the ripeness, so the wine has an almost citrus, soft berry fruit character, mineral and beautifully palate cleansing. 13%

Lacrima is an ancient native of the lands surrounding the hilltop town of Morro d'Alba and to this day it has hardly left the province of Ancona. It has proved very hard to trace the pedigree of this vine, it is said to be so ancient that the exact origins may never be known. Mancinelli is seen by many as the Daddy of modern Lacrima and was an influential part of its elevation to DOC status in 1985.
The vineyards are on sandy clays on limestone, they are farmed with a ‘minimum impact’ ethic – Stefano has little time for certification organisations. The drainage on his land is excellent, importantly the near proximity to the Adriatic supplies an almost constant cooling breeze that keeps the vines healthy.
The grapes are picked by hand and lightly crushed before starting fermentation on the skins. After a day or two it is taken off the skins and fermentation is completed in steel tanks, this is to avoid excessive tannin. The calling card of Lacrima is pure floral aromas and whilst it is possible to make a bigger, more serious version, the effort is rarely worth it.