The particular juice tears on the grapes make it unique in the world
Among the poetic hills of Morro d’Alba , the Marche region hides the magical secular history of another wonderful indigenous Italian oenological son, “ Il Lacrima ” .
Warm colors, of a purple or ruby red, sometimes slightly “scratched” by delicate violet reflections, intense aromas that pamper the nose with sweet notes of fruit jam, cinnamon, cocoa, dried rose and much more, young and jaunty , the tannins tickle the hypnotized palate, immersed and entranced by the velvety sugary softness assisted by an extraordinary taste-olfactory persistence.
“… from a tear on the face …” sang the great Bobby Solo in Sanremo Festival of ’64 , instead it is from a sweet tear on the grape that “the Lacrima”, native vine of the enchanting municipality of Morro d’Alba in the province of Ancona, begins to express all the character that its “maman terroir ”He knew how to offer.
Those peculiar lesions on the skin and those tears of juice that are formed at the moment of full ripeness have always represented the cross and delight of this vine, because, if on the one hand this particularity (also taken up in its own name) assisted to a richness of tannins and anthocyanins give the wine from which it obtains its own strong character connotations that turn between softness and angularity, on the other hand, these characteristics also put a strain on those who cultivate this vine as they must try to lose as little juice as possible from the grape during maturation and must also be able to manage the fermentation virulence of the extracted must.
For thousands of years this ancient oenological fruit has been gently cradled among the harmonious rolling hills of the tiny village in the Marche region which, like a real mother, gives it all its being with love: with gentle caresses the fertile soil, mainly composed of clay, rich in sodium and potassium, given the presence behind it of rocky and mineral mountain lands and with a good presence of sand donated by the sea in front, it nourishes it with intensity, strength and immense elegance; with loving authority the climate, influenced by the mitigating marine activity to the west and the imposing Apennine mountains to the east, ideal for viticulture, educates it perfectly and gives it a completely harmonious character; And finally it is the warm kiss of the summer sun that starts the maturation of this delicious “newborn”, and loads it more and more with colors, scents and flavors, until it explodes in a lively cry of happiness made of sweet and juicy tears, those the same tears that made it unique all over the world and that the skilful hand of the winemaker from the Marches managed to transform into a precious wine, “the Lacrima” precisely “the Lacrima di Morro d’Alba”.
With its being such a refined seducer, this wine has always enchanted the senses of the most illustrious men in world history who, passing through Morro D’Alba and beyond, could not escape the charm of the irresistible call of that sweet divine juice that the god Bacchus gave him.
In fact, “la Lacrima” has always been able to amaze also for its history, full of magic and mystery. It is a vine with very ancient origins, it seems that it makes its appearance already in some writings deriving from the Roman era, it is said that the first mention is already in 1167 when Frederick I Barbarossa during the siege of Ancona he preferred the imposing castle in the beautiful walled village of Morro d’Alba as his residence and shelter, and it is on that occasion that the Morrese inhabitants in exchange for his protection were obliged to give him the most delicious products and precious products of its territory, including the famous ‘Nectar of Morro’ and for the emperor it was a love at “first sip”. Furthermore, it is certain that this vine is also mentioned in various chronicle texts dating back to the time of the other great Roman Emperor, Frederick II.
After this period of great protagonism, the inexplicable historical void: for decades, “Il Lacrima”, even up to the seventies, was cultivated in an unknown form because only and exclusively the Morresi were informed of the existence of this native vine and on the peculiarity of the wine obtained from it.
Incredibly, in the late seventies it was even facing extinction due to the aforementioned complexity in cultivation and winemaking.
Fortunately, in the early eighties, the Morrese company Stefano Mancinelli, with so much love for that tender oenological son of his mother earth and with “patriotic” pride, miraculously managed to save “Il Lacrima” from disappearance.
Later, also other producers in the area with the support of the public administration, began to work to be able to “reborn” that product that had been so mistreated in recent years with the belief that instead it could now be deservedly revalued and made known in all the world.
The great territorial activity carried out between companies and local institutions, has extraordinarily allowed the recognition in 1985 of the DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, which includes the entire areas of the municipalities of Morro d’Alba, San Marcello, Belvedere Ostrense, Ostra, Monte San Vito and that of the municipality of Senigallia with the exception of the parts facing the sea, in the classic and new variants, but also the passito variants and higher inserted only a few years later.
To complete the enormous work, on 16 October 1999 in the Morrese village, the “Ducato della Lacrima di Morro d’Alba “, an association that was born without discovery of profit with the aim of making known and further enhancing the” Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC “all over the world with food and wine and representative cultural projects and events .
The right treatment for a wonderful Italian pride.
