Sciaccarellu

Mammolo is a less common today but historically significant, fragrant central Italian Sangiovese blend, more important on the French island of Corsica than Sciaccarello.

Once widespread in Tuscany, Mammolo began to decline in the 1960s and today it is only grown on a very small scale, mainly in the regions of Montepulciano, Siena, Arezzo and Lucca. In 2000, only 147 ha were cultivated in Italy and it seems that the grape variety is threatened with extinction.
It is permitted in the DOCs Carmignano, Chianti, Colli dell'Etruria Centrale, Monteregio di Massa Marittima, Morellino di Scansano, Parrina, Pomino, Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and is usually blended with SANGIOVESE. The wines are medium-bodied and moderately alcoholic, becoming more perfumed with age.

On the island of Corsica, France, Sciaccarello (often Sciaccarellu and sometimes Sciacarello), meaning "crisp", is one of the main varieties in all red and rosé appellations except Patrimonio and is the predominant variety in the south of the island, especially in the regions of Ajaccio and Sartène. It is also often sold as IGP L'Île de Beauté.

The area under cultivation amounted to 783 ha in 2008, returning to the level of the late 1970s after a slump in the late 1980s. The varietal wines have a rather pale colour, but combine high alcohol content with fresh acidity and aromas of red fruits and spices, which is why they are often produced as rosés.