And now for the wine this particular Langhe head believes is the deal of the day, Guido Porro’s outstanding Barbera d’Alba!  The Porro name needs no introduction to longtime lovers of Langhe wines has his Serralunga d’Alba estate Barolos are benchmarks, especially since Guido inherited a tiny share of the Vignarionda MGA about a decade a so, the vineyard equivalent to winning the lottery.  But the mainstay of the estate is Vigna Santa Caterina, a small monopole parcel of the much larger Lazzarito MGA the Porros have been farming for four generations.  It’s a great spot that captures the very essence of what makes Serralunga such a special place for grapes.  The Barbera is a single hectare parcel of over 40 years old at the top of the vineyard.  Simply made but hardly a simple wine, it is aged for only eight months in steel and cement.  This allows this Barbera to remain truly a ‘vin de terroir’ with the grape’s pure plum and dusky cherry fruit augmented by lots of cracked earth, spice, licorice and mineral flavors.  Good Barbera should have a great mouthfeel built on copious fruit but finish with fresh, crunchy acidity and this vibrant 2023 is just that wine.  Tasting it earlier today made me want to run out immediately for a pizza or a bowl of tajarin pasta with a fresh sausage sauce.  Try it yourself with any kind of pasta, a platter of smoked meats and cheeses, burgers or ribs or, thanks to its freshness and zing, all by itself!  This is the wine I’ve been waiting for all spring and I’m bringing a bottle home tonight, taking the cover off the grill and let’s see what happens!  Very highly recommended.