Pörlapà is apparently an expression in the dialect of Asti (Astigiano) which means something akin to oh wow! That’s how I felt about this Barbera d’Asti D.O.C. Superiore 2004 from Boeri Alfonso S.S. which I first tasted at the Newport Mansions Tasting back in September 2008. At the time I was struck by this rich, deep ruby colored wine which had delicious black fruit, spice and oak notes.

At wine tastings, you always end up sharing wine with your neighbors. My neighbors were Michele and Roberto from Banfi Vintners who are always wonderful and kind and Alex from Cape Cod Wholesale Wine & Spirits in Orleans. I fell in love with this Barbera d’Asti at the time and tonight tried a bottle for the second time. Pörlapà was my reaction this time around as well.

The wine spends some 18 months in barriques and a long period of time in the bottle before being sold into the market. Boeri wines usually spend about three years in the cellar. The winery is a family run outfit and has 10 hectares of vineyards. Some traditionalists may not favor this use of oak but I thought it gave the Barbera the tannins that it needed. Barbera has good acidity but is low in tannins. While I certainly enjoy the more traditional styles, I also liked this modern version. Thanks Alex!