Tapas at Barcino Gourmet with the usual suspects was an opportunity to try some of their new wines:
Vilarnau Cava Brut - Lemon water with bubbles. Reminds me of San Pellegrino. Bland and uninteresting.
Vilarnau Cava Brut Rose - Light, strawberry, dry, easy, pleasant enough but there's better cava out there.
Beronia Reserva 2001 Rioja - Slightly oaky and woody with hints of New Worldiness about it. Rather rich. Good balance and ready to drink now.
Beronia Gran Reserva 1996 Rioja - Light to medium-bodied. Lots of fruit but with a bracing acidity. Savoury. Soft tannins. The finish isn't all that long, though. Still, a very good wine that is probably at peak now.
Rosenblum Lyon Vineyard Zinfandel 2002 - Not on the Barcino list but brought by Arnie. A bit hot which isn't surprising given the 16% alcohol. Rich, thick, sweet but less so than most other Rosenblums I've tried which tend to be milk shakey.The finish on this is rather dry and it has a good tannic structure for support. Very good.
Gonazalez-Byass Pedro Ximenez Nectar - Ultra sweet. Figs, dates, chocolate, caramel, raisins, some nuttiness. Rich but focused wine. The acidity is subtle but it must be there in order to balance this wine. The finish is endless. Surprisingly easy to drink. After the tapas we had this with turron and over vanilla ice cream. Fantastically good stuff at a great price.