Angol d’Amig (Marco Lanzotti)

Vaciglio, Modena, Emila-Romagna, Italy

On first meeting Marco Lanzotti, one is struck by his kind and soft-spoken demeanor. After spending time with him, it becomes clear that Marco is a quietly determined individual whose gentle manner hides an intense curiosity and focus. Marco's love of wine began years ago, when he worked at Stallo del Pomodoro, an osteria in Modena, where the wine list included hundreds of labels, many of local origin. After years of tasting and talking to guests and colleagues, his curiosity led him to seek out the people behind the wines; eventually working with such notable Lambrusco producers as Vittorio Graziano, Ca de Noci, Luciano Saetti, and Cinque Campi. In 2013, these collaborations led Marco to try his hand at making his own wines, naming the project Angol d’Amig or the “friends’ corner” in the Modenese dialect.

Marco began by renting a small one-hectare plot at the San Polo organic farm in Vaciglio, outside of Modena, producing about 150cs to start. He has since added additional vineyards, restoring old vines around Modena, all on a mixture of clay, limestone and sandy-soils. Marco now farms a total of six hectares spread across three vineyards in the area. Marco does not use an autoclave, a method that started in the 1970s. Rather, he works by fermenting the base wine dry and allowing a natural sedimentation over the winter. The following spring, he adds frozen must from the prior vintage to generate a second fermentation in tank before bottling after about 20 days. The resulting wines have between between two and two-and-a-half barres of pressure, with the exception of Qui e Ora, which is closer to 4.5 barre. All that to say the bubbles add a gentle texture that do not overwhelm the base wine. Marco uses a little SO2 (2 grams per hectoliter) after fermentation to avoid bacterial spoilage.

Marco does not have a website or facebook page. The closest thing we could find was a blog post in Italian from 2020. Or enjoy some old Riunite commercials.

Our Selections

Angol d’Amig Scaramusc Lambrusco dell`Emilia IGP 2021

Scaramusc is named for the fighting, guitar-playing carnival figure in puppet shows once common in the Naples area. Scaramusc had formerly been called Sandrone, another figure of Commedia dell'arte, until Marco had to change the name because of the famous Langhe producer. This is a deep, rich, sparkling Lambrusco made from a blend of Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco di Sorbara, and Lambrusco Salamino grapes. Grasparossa gives dark juice that is high in tannin and low in acidity while Sorbara is the lightest and most elegant. Salamino, the most widely planted, is the highest in sugar. The wine is dark and brambly with lovely aromatics and a nice, earthy, leathery note and a gentle sparkle. 11% alcohol.

Angol d’Amig Pulonia Emilia Bianco Frizzante IGP 2021

Pulonia is the wife of Sandrone, both of whom are characters in the Commedia dell'arte theater famous in the Renaissance, like Scaramusc above. There is no appellation for Lambrusco Bianco, so this 50/50 blend of two local grapes, Pignoletto and Trebbiano di Spagna, is considered an Emilia Bianco Frizzante. Pignoletto, a grape grown widely throughout Emilia-Romagna, is gaining fans for its structure and salinity, despite its low acidity. Trebbiano di Spagna is a high acid, aromatic grape variety that is most often used as the base for Balsamico vinegar. This is a delicious wine with notes of citrus, quince, cardamom, and honey. 11.5% alcohol.

Angol d’Amig Spoma? Emilia Lambrusco Rosato Frizzante IGP 2021

Spoma? Meaning “Will it sparkle?” in the local dialect, is Marco’s delicious frizzante rosato. The name is a bit of fun, referring to his grandfather’s time, when the wines sometimes had a sparkle, and sometimes remained still. Spoma? is made entirely from Lambrusco di Sorbara, the lightest of the four varieties of Lambrusco from the Modena region and comes from a vineyard rich in clay that Marco describes as “more fatty.” Spoma? features an attractive pale copper color, a gentle sparkle, delicious berry fruit on the palate, a nice long finish, and a tart mineral tang. 10.5% alcohol.

Angol d’Amig Qui e Ora Trebbiano dell`Emilia Bianco Frizzante IGP 2021 

Made from 80% Trebbiano Modenese and 20% Trebbiano di Spagna , this is a savory and rich sparkling wine that has NOT been disgorged, meaning that the wine remains on the gross lees and is cloudy in appearance. Notes of bread, pear, quince, and spice, this is a stunning ancestral method wine that is long and complex. While enjoyable when opened normally, we suggest opening it over a bowl in the sink or with the neck semi submerged in a bowl of water, then popping the crown cap. The counterforce of the water will keep the lees in the bottle. 11% Alcohol