Grape Guide
Mammolo
RedMammolo is a scarce black Tuscan variety, traditionally included in modest amounts to lend fragrance to Sangiovese blends. DNA profiling has shown it to be identical to Corsica's Sciaccarello, a leading red and rosé grape there that prevails across the southern end of Corsica and forms the backbone of the Ajaccio appellation.
Key characteristics
- Black-skinned; Sciaccarello and Sciaccarellu in Corsica are the same genotype
- Ripens in the middle to later part of the season and can be vigorous
- Many clonal forms described in Tuscany, a sign of great age
- Some clones are prone to botrytis bunch rot
- Thrives in the dry, free-draining soils of southern Corsica
Typical flavors
Major regions
Corsica: Ajaccio AOC · Corsica: Corse Sartène · Corsica: Corse Figari and Corse Porto-Vecchio · Corsica: IGP Île de Beauté · Tuscany: Montepulciano, Siena, Arezzo and Lucca · Tuscany: Chianti and Carmignano (blending)
Also known as
Sciaccarello (Corsica) · Sciaccarellu (Corsica) · Sciacarello (Corsica) · Schiorello (Corsica) · Malvasia Montanaccio (Sartène · Corsica) · Muntanaccia (Sartène) · Mammolo Toscano · Mammolone di Lucca · Broumest (Aveyron)
Mammolo is a black-skinned grape with two separate reputations. In central Italy, above all Tuscany, it is a minor and shrinking variety, traditionally planted among Sangiovese vines to lend aromatic lift and a softer edge to the blend. In Corsica it goes by Sciaccarello (also written Sciaccarellu), a name usually translated as 'crunchy', and it is the signature red grape of the south and south-west of the island, where it supplies a large share of the red and rosé wines.
The wines are light to medium in body and pale in colour, with red-berry fruit, a peppery spice and a floral note that recalls violets; the Italian name is thought to come from the sweet violet, Viola odorata. Alcohol is comparatively generous for the colour, while acidity stays bright and the tannins are fine. Corsican versions are often made as rosé to make the most of that freshness.
Mammolo is an ancient Tuscan cultivar. Early in the 1600s, both a red and a white Mammolo were on record in Tuscany; the white was either a different grape or one that has since vanished, while the red already had a reputation as a sound wine grape. Its great age shows in the many clonal forms, all described in Tuscany: among them Mammolo Nero Primaticcio, Piccolo, Grosso, Asciuto, Sgrigliolante and Tonda. The name is generally traced to mammola, the Italian word for the sweet violet.
Microsatellite analysis in 2007 found that two Corsican grapes, Sciaccarellu and Malvasia Montanaccio, share the Mammolo genotype (a later SNP study found one registered Mammolo clone to be a distinct but closely related genotype). The grape is thought to have travelled from the mainland to the island rather than the other way round, probably while Corsica belonged to the Republic of Pisa (from the late 11th century) or the Republic of Genoa (from the late 13th century). The same research found probable parent and offspring relationships between Mammolo and four Tuscan grapes: Caloria, Colombana Nera, Pollera Nera and Biancone di Portoferraio. This points to an important place for Mammolo in Tuscany's grape heritage. A possible link with Rollo, from Liguria, has also been suggested. During the 20th century Mammolo shrank dramatically on the mainland, while Sciaccarello stayed a cornerstone of Corsican viticulture.
Mammolo ripens from the middle to the later part of the season and can be vigorous, so yields must be controlled if the wine is to show any concentration. The many Tuscan clones differ in bunch and berry shape, and some are especially prone to botrytis bunch rot, which makes site choice and canopy management important in damper vintages. The variety suits warm, dry Mediterranean conditions: in southern Corsica it does well on the dry, free-draining soils around Ajaccio and Sartène, where rain late in the season is less of a risk. In the vineyard it has sometimes been mistaken for Barbera (called Barbera Rotonda in Piemonte) and for Perricone, and only DNA analysis tells them apart reliably.
In Tuscany Mammolo is almost never bottled on its own. It is a supporting grape in Sangiovese-led reds, adding a violet-like perfume and a rounder mid-palate; the wines have a medium body and moderate alcohol, and gain aromatic complexity as they age. Labels deserve care: at least one Tuscan IGT sold as Mammolo has been made entirely from Merlot. In Corsica, Sciaccarello is bottled as a varietal and also blended. The reds are pale, peppery and fresh, with red fruit and spice; the rosés are pale salmon, crisp and savoury, and are arguably the style in which the grape shows best. Blending partners include Niellucciu, Grenache and Vermentinu, the last sometimes added to give rosé extra lift. Oak is used sparingly, because the grape's delicacy is easily overwhelmed.
Where it grows
Corsica, Ajaccio
Sciaccarello is the leading variety of Ajaccio AOC, where the current specification requires at least 40% of it in red and rosé blends. Granitic soils and a maritime climate give pale, spicy reds. Comte Peraldi, at Mezzavia near Ajaccio, is a long-established estate here.
Corsica, Sartène and the south
Across Corsica's southern end, including the Sartène and Figari areas, this is the dominant red grape. Clos Canarelli's Figari rosé is an example, blending Sciaccarellu with Niellucciu and Grenache.
Corsica, island-wide
Sciaccarello is a principal variety in nearly every red and rosé appellation apart from Patrimonio, which is built on Niellucciu, and it is widely sold under the IGP Île de Beauté. Plantings reached about 783 ha in 2008, roughly where it stood in the late 1970s; more recent regional estimates come close to 960 ha, though the reference year varies.
Tuscany
Plantings declined from the 1960s onward and amounted to about 147 ha across Italy in 2000, mostly around Montepulciano, Siena, Arezzo and Lucca. It is permitted in a number of Tuscan appellations, including Chianti, Carmignano, Pomino, Morellino di Scansano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, usually as a blending partner for Sangiovese.
Australia
A handful of growers have experimented with it, notably in the Barossa Valley, where a small share is co-fermented with Nebbiolo for fragrance and colour.