These are the wines I chose to sample at Enoteca Vin Restaurant in Raleigh October 14.
All three wines appeared to be a dark crimson color.
1999 TALENTI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO (3 oz. tasting for $9.80, $45 for a bootle at the restaurant)
Voluminous in the mouth. Still sharply tannic, drying finish. Sour cherry flavor with chewy quality. Just a bit of light ashes. Needs some age or decanting but seems to have "the goods" to do well in time.
1998 DEL BONDIO "BELLA OAKS" CABERNET SAUVIGNON
$4.15 FOR 1.5 oz. taste--$55 for a bottle
Candied fruit on the nose as I swirled it. Tastes very ripe, somewhat extracted, but with a complexity that goes beyond the fruit and keeps it from presenting as "jammy." The fruit just sings! Raspberries and red currants? Brighter fragrance than the Brunello. Flavors don't exhibit as a classical Cabernet Sauvignon but are very attractive. Given the opportunity, you've got to try this wine. May not be to everyone's style but I really like it.
2001 DEL BONDIO SYRAH $2.75 for a 1.5 oz. taste, $39 the bottle at the restaurant
The most dense of the three wines. Smooth but spicy. Bite on the finish. Nice wine that would pair well with lamb or several other red meats; perhaps with ratatouille also for a vegetarian meal.