A Fall From Grace

There’s an ancient legend associated with the southern Italian wine Lacryma Christi. While it’s been told in different versions, the essence is that God looked down at the Gulf of Naples, saw a piece of heaven that Lucifer had stolen, and shed tears. Where the tears fell, vines sprung up and were used to make the wine Lacryma Christi (“the tears of Christ”).  

The wine is made in the Lacryma Christi Vesuvio DOC, located near Naples on the slopes of Mount Vesuvio. Yes, the Vesuvio that exploded in 79 A.D., covering the village of Pompeii with a ten foot deep layer of solid ash and lava. Which accounts for the volcanic, sandy soils that help impart a unique flavor to this wine. Lacryma Christi has been made for two millennia, and comes in red, white and rosé styles.

• In its day, wines from Pompeii were among the most prestigious in the Mediterranean basin, and the city was a center of a vibrant wine trade. Excavations have uncovered ancient vineyards, wineries and even numerous wine bars (the Pompeiians were nothing if not a party crowd). One producer, Mastroberardino has worked with the Italian government to revive near-extinct grape varieties and replicate an ancient vineyard and winery in the center of Pompeii. The result is a wine called Villa dei Misteri, and that's a story for another day.

Lacryma Christi is made primarily from the indigenous Coda di Volpe grape. Its name means “tail of the fox,” which was inspired by the unusual shape of the vine's grape bunches. Lacryma Christi may include other grapes in a blend, such as Verdeca and Falanghina. Never heard of these? That’s the point – there are a lot of interesting wines worth trying, and you may find that some wow you.

Our wine of the week is a 2015 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio ($17 retail). This is an interesting, straw yellow wine that’s very good quality but may not appeal to all tastes. It’s made from 100 percent Coda di Volpe, and is medium-bodied with a 12.5 percent alcohol level. It has aromas of stone fruit, white flowers and a hint of pear. The palate features subdued stone fruit, with a bright acidity and earthy and mineral notes – hints of the volcanic soils. The wine has a medium and very interesting finish, which unfolds in waves and ends with noticeable earthy and ash-like notes.

• Although a quality Lacryma Christi should last for ten years or so, I would drink this wine in its first two or three years. The 2015 had very subdued fruit and was probably more pleasant in its youth.
• This makes a fine aperitif, and pairs well with seafood salads, shellfish, shrimp cocktail and calamari.
• This wine highlighted the difference in sensitivities among tasters. One of our two tasters could not detect stone fruit, while for the other that aroma was fairly prominent. In fact, individuals have differing sensitivities to various aromas, and in some cases an individual may be “blind” to a particular aroma (a condition called anosmia). In a famous incident, two world-renowned wine critics tasted the same wine blind: one pronounced it unpalatable swill while the other pronounced it excellent. The two sniped at each other for years over this incident, with neither yielding an inch on their opinion.

Cheers!