WTN: Raspail-Ay Gigondas 2004

This elicitedsome controversy last night, with one friend dismissing the wine as "something gone wrong" and "way too funky."

Me? I thought it was delicious-certainly a good bit of old school? funk...but with decent strawberry fruit, great earthyness, garrigue, leather. Smooth tannins, and the alcohol did not stick out. My friend stated that "He looks for funk in Bordeaux, but the rhone wines need to be clean." I would almost make the opposite statement myself.

[David M. Bueker]

My friend stated that "He looks for funk in Bordeaux, but the rhone wines need to be clean."

I am with you. I don't mind a little funk in Bordeaux, but Rhone is where the funk is.

[Jenise]

Great tradtiional wines, the Raspail-Ays. Love them!

I no longer trust his palate!

And: He was expressing appreciation for a Zinfandel that was so thickly oaky I couldn't taste the fruit under the dill and vanilla.

Sounds like something is a little off on all counts here. Rhone reds are often a little funky, but the 2004 Raspail-Ay isn't -- at least sound bottles; it's a terrific example of its type, probably my favorite.