Lacrima

The Floral Red of the Marche Lacrima is a rare and intensely aromatic native red grape of the Marche on Italy’s Adriatic coast, celebrated for its extraordinary perfume of roses and violets. Grown almost exclusively around the town of Morro d’Alba, it produces soft, fragrant, deeply floral reds quite unlike any other Italian wine. Once nearly forgotten, it has been revived into a prized local speciality and one of the most distinctive aromatic reds in the country.

Origins and Name Lacrima is an ancient variety of the Marche, and its name — meaning “tear” — is usually explained by the grape’s thin skin, which tends to split when fully ripe so that drops of juice form like tears on the berry. By the late 20th century it had dwindled almost to nothing, surviving in only a few vineyards, before a local revival restored it to prominence around its historic home.

A Grape of Morro d’Alba Lacrima’s heartland is the small zone around the town of Morro d’Alba, inland from the Adriatic coast near Ancona — confusingly unrelated to the famous Alba of Piedmont. Grown almost nowhere else, it is intimately tied to this little patch of the Marche, whose clay and limestone soils and warm, hill-tempered climate give the grape its remarkable perfume and soft, fruity character.

In the Vineyard A vigorous variety with notably thin skins that split easily at full ripeness, Lacrima can be tricky to grow and prone to rot, which contributed to its near-disappearance. Careful farming and timing are essential, and the best wines come from good sites and restrained yields that concentrate the intense floral aromatics and soft fruit that are the grape’s whole appeal.

Appearance and Structure Lacrima gives medium to deeply coloured wines of medium body, with soft, gentle tannins and fresh, moderate acidity. It is a grape of perfume and softness rather than structure or power, producing approachable, fragrant reds whose appeal lies overwhelmingly in their extraordinary aromatics and their soft, juicy, easy-drinking character.

Aromatic Profile The signature is an intense, unmistakable perfume of roses and violets, alongside red berries, plum and a hint of exotic spice. Few grapes are so overtly and gloriously floral — the rose-and-violet aromatics leap from the glass, giving the wines a heady, almost perfumed-sweet character even when fully dry, a singular and instantly recognisable signature.

In the Cellar Lacrima is usually made fresh and unoaked, or with restrained oak, to preserve its delicate, intense floral perfume, which heavy winemaking would easily overwhelm. It is made in dry, off-dry and occasionally sweet passito styles, but its classic expression is the fragrant, soft, dry red that captures the grape’s remarkable rose-and-violet aromatics.

Key Expressions

• Lacrima di Morro d’Alba (DOC): the benchmark and near-exclusive home — soft, intensely floral dry reds.
• Superiore bottlings: more concentrated, structured expressions of the grape.
• Passito: a traditional sweet, dried-grape version showcasing the perfume.
• Artisan revival wines: the bottlings that rescued the variety from obscurity.

The Question of Aging Lacrima is made chiefly for fresh, aromatic, early drinking, prized for the intense floral perfume that is at its most vivid in youth. Most examples are best within a few years of the vintage, while the rose-and-violet aromatics are at their peak, though the more structured Superiore bottlings can hold a little longer.

At the Table Its soft tannins, fresh acidity and heady perfume make Lacrima a versatile and distinctive food red, well suited to the cuisine of the Marche: cured meats and salumi, rich pasta, roast and grilled meats, and aromatic, lightly spiced dishes. Its floral character also makes it an intriguing partner for fragrant cooking, served slightly cool.

Why It Matters Lacrima is one of Italy’s most singular and aromatic reds — a once-forgotten grape revived around its tiny Marche homeland, and a wine whose extraordinary perfume of roses and violets makes it utterly unmistakable among the country’s wealth of native varieties.