Mammolo is an old, indigenous Tuscan grape, and the name actually covers a group of genetically distinct varieties. In the literature, five distinct Mammolo types have been identified, probably descended from Mammolo Nero and Mammolone di Lucca. Genetically, the grape is related to Biancella, Caloria, Colombana Nera, Pollera Nera, Sciaccarellu and Malvasia Montanaccio, among others, as well as other Corsican varieties. Through a natural crossing with Moscato Violetto and Sangiovese, Mammolo is moreover the grandfather of Ciliegiolo.
In Italy you will find Mammolo exclusively in Toscana, more specifically in the provinces of Arezzo, Grosseto, Lucca, Pistoia and Siena. It is a rare grape, and as of 2010 there were fewer than a hundred hectares planted in the region. The grape is also grown on Corsica, where it most likely arrived under Italian rule from the eleventh to the eighteenth century, as well as in the USA and Australia.
Mammolo is a vigorous, upright-growing vine with good and regular performance, and it is considered hardy and rustic. It buds after Sangiovese but ripens earlier, typically in the second half of September or the start of October. The bunches are medium to large and pyramid-shaped with large, round, red-blue berries. The skin is thick, which makes the grape well suited to air-drying. A couple of factors require attention in the vineyard: the anthocyanins are unstable, so the colour fades over time, and that makes clonal selection important. The grape is moreover sensitive to botrytis depending on the compactness of the bunch. Mammolo thrives best in clay-rich, alkaline soils with a certain sodium content and traces of sand, while overly fertile soils produce thin, less interesting wines.
In the glass, Mammolo is used first and foremost as a blending grape, and it rarely appears on its own. It features in appellations such as Carmignano, Chianti, Morellino di Scansano, Monteregio di Massa Marittima, Colli di Luni, Montecucco, Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and from around ten percent upwards it becomes recognisable in a blend. The grape produces dry red wines and can also be used for late-harvest wines. The wines oxidise quickly, and this contributed to the variety beginning to fall out of fashion from the 1960s.