“Mario Lucchetti, helped by his wife Teresa, his son Paolo and his wife Tiziana, has become a reference point for Lacrima di Morro d’Alba wines. Potassium-rich, iron-poor soils help to create wines of great power and warmth that are at the same time always highly aromatic. The estate’s 18 hectares are planted to Lacrima (many vines are 35 to 40 years old) and Verdicchio; the winemaking is overseen by one of the Marche’s brightest minds, Alberto Mazzoni, who also serves as consulting winemaker at the standout Sartarelli estate.” – Ian D’Agata, VinousMedia (July 2015)
Mario Lucchetti began in the 1980s with the first acres of Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, one of the local indigenous varietals in this rural area of Le Marche in the province of Ancona, not far from the town of Jesi. His passion focused on restoring the importance of the area’s native varietals. With new plantings in 2004, the estate’s total vineyard size expanded to 14 hectares and continues to grow today. In recent years, Mario’s son Paolo completed his degree in enology and is now working side by side with his father to carry the family tradition into the next decades. The focal point of the winery is their basic Lacrima bottling, but they also produce the “Guardengo” single-vineyard bottling as well as an Amarone style Lacrima made from partially dried grapes. Annual production remains well under 10,000 cases per year.
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is an indigenous dark purple grape that exemplifies the Marche wine region. Historic records document that the grape has been harvested in the narrow region that today comprises the heart of Morro d’Alba since medieval times. On average, the grapes are harvested in the first ten days of September and vinified using the traditional method to make a very pleasant, ready-to-drink wine with the unmistakable bouquet of violets and wild strawberries. Fruity yet exotic and concentrated, this wine is delightful paired with traditional salami and Italian cold cuts, roasted meats and grilled sausages and is perfect for spring and fall, when the weather calls for less structured wines.
