Lacrima
Lacrima is a dark-skinned grape associated with Morro d'Alba and the surrounding hills near Ancona in Marche. Its conspicuous floral character, often described in terms of rose and violet, makes it distinctive among local reds. Its local identity is expressed most directly in Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, while contemporary producers also use it for rosé, sparkling wine and sweet styles.
Morro d'Alba is in central Italy, a different place from Alba in Piedmont. Keeping the full place name in view helps distinguish this small regional tradition from the better-known wines of the Langhe.
Vineyard choices
Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo describes an early-budding, vigorous vine with mid-season ripening and variable production. It also records susceptibility to bunch rot. Growers therefore have to consider both the spring risks that come with early growth and the health of the fruit as harvest approaches. Canopy management connects those practical decisions with the eventual wine by changing shade and ventilation around the bunches.
The nursery's account emphasizes the local red-wine use of the grape. Present producer ranges show a wider set of possibilities, making the cellar an important part of understanding Lacrima's current relevance.
One grape, several cellar routes
Marotti Campi's range offers a particularly clear comparison. Rubico matures in steel; its current technical sheet also describes a small contribution fermented as whole bunches with carbonic maceration. Orgiolo, its Superiore, spends time in used barriques. Both are Lacrima di Morro d'Alba wines, but the second receives a different maturation treatment. Used barrels can affect development and texture while contributing less conspicuous wood flavour than new ones; vessel choice and age are separate questions in oak maturation.
The same producer makes a Lacrima rosé and a tank-fermented Brut Rosé. Producing bubbles in a closed tank captures the carbon dioxide of fermentation, giving the grape another expression without requiring the bottle-fermentation process of traditional-method sparkling wine. Its Xyris, described as partially fermented Lacrima must, represents a further departure from dry red wine.
These are specific production choices, not interchangeable versions of the same finished drink. They give Lacrima a contemporary role beyond a single appellation style, while keeping the grape's cultivation and commercial identity rooted in Marche.