Rol Valentin - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2022

Alexandre Ma

90

byAlexandre Mathe3/10/2025

The 2022 vintage of Château Rol Valentin returns to an 85% Merlot composition. In its mature aromas, I found a fragrant world of flowers and fruits, with layers of cherry and black plum accompanied by the scents of cloves and rose petals, each sip revealing new nuances. The alcohol in the finish is slightly warm, but the wine still maintains a well-balanced body. Compared to my previous impressions of Château Rol Valentin, the tannins in the 2022 vintage are a bit more robust, and there is a trace of dried grape in the finish. Other than that, the wine does a nice job.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

92

byJane Ansonthe3/7/2025

They have done a good job of injecting plenty of personality here, delivering sweet liquorice and mandarin peel flavour alongside bright redcurrant and raspberry fruits, clear spice, pumped up but with a foot on the brake. 90% new oak, 400l barrels and 10% in cement eggs, 7.14ha of old sand and clay limestone soils.

Wine Advocate

92

byYohan Castaingthe3/6/2025

A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, the 2022 Rol Valentin offers up aromas of lilac, dark berries, cassis and mulberries mingled with delicate notes of licorice and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's rich and deep with a fleshy core of fruit and structured tannins that segue into a gently assertive tannic frame. It concludes with an oaky, spicy bouquet yet is notably less oaky than previous vintages, reflecting a refined approach to its barrel integration and extraction process. Matured for 19 months in 40% new and 60% one-year-old barrels.

The Wine Cellar Insider

93

byJeff Levethe3/4/2025

Rol Valentin, Château

Jeb DUNNUCK

94

byJeb Dunnuckthe2/28/2025

Deeper ruby-hued, the 2022 Château Rol Valentin checks in as 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Malbec, all of which spent 19 months in 40% new barrels. It's rock-solid stuff offering terrific notes of darker cherries, plums, spicy wood, and candied violet notes in a richer, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style. Made in a slightly more modern, well-oaked style, it's still pure Saint-Emilion goodness with notable minerality and ample character. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and enjoy over the following 10-15 years.

Yvesbeck.wine

93

byYves Beckthe2/25/2025

78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec Le bouquet de Rol Valentin ne manque pas de souligner le terroir argilo-calcaire au travers de notes crayeuses complétées par des parfums de mûres et de sureau. Friand et juteux en attaque, le vin affiche de la fraîcheur, du tempérament et de l'harmonie. Il est bien tenu par ses tannins qui assurent sa vigueur, tandis que de fins amers plébiscitent la fraîcheur et la persistance de la finale. 2027- 2044 93/100

Vinous

89

byNeal Martinthe2/12/2025

The 2022 Rol Valentin was difficult to assess in barrel, but now in bottle, the aromatics are well defined with pure brambly red fruit, blackcurrant scents and well-integrated oak. The palate is ripe on the entry with chewy tannins. It loses some focus toward the finish, which is a bit more monochromatic than I would have liked, especially given the nose.

Jamessuckling.com

93

byJames Sucklingthe2/3/2025

Rich cherries, plums and touches of white pepper and iron on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm yet close-knit tannins enveloping the big core of ripe, juicy fruit. Pretty long and tight in the finish. Drink from 2027, when the wood spices and tannins are more resolved.

Vinous

93

byAntonio Gallonithe1/28/2025

The 2022 Rol Valentin is bold, juicy and explosive. Black cherry, mocha, licorice and spice are all dialed up. This exuberant, fruity Saint-Émilion offers tons of near- and medium-term appeal. All the elements are so well balanced. There's a lot to like, starting with the wine's immediacy and sheer allure.

Decanter.com

92

byGeorgina Hindlethe5/25/2023

Juicy and succulent, supple and lively, a nice brightness to this with a clean, mineral laced aspect of the palate. I like the stony, flint aspects, really bringing the terroir into the glass, doesn't have as much weight or overall impact as some others, but there's nice detail and precision here. Juicy and easy, a touch sharp with strawberry and raspberry fruit and wet stones on the finish as well as a flash of heat.

Alexandre Ma

91-93

byAlexandre Mathe5/17/2023

Château Rol Valentin 2022 returns to 85% Merlot, and its mature aromas are a sweet and fruity wonderland. With the aroma of cherry and blackberry intermingled with the layers of clove and rose, each sip reveals new olfactory changes. Although the alcohol content in the aftertaste is slightly warm, the overall balance of the wine remains intact. It is a superb Saint-Émilion grand cru.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

93

byJane Ansonthe5/16/2023

Intense, concentrated, with musuclar tannins, delivering attractive blackberry fruits, balance and lift, with notes of slate and rose petal. Good quality from Alexandra and Nicolas Robin, 7.14ha.

The Wine Independent

84-86

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/15/2023

A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, the 2022 Rol Valentin is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs some swirling to coax out notes of prunes, dried mulberries, and Christmas cake, plus wafts of tobacco leaf and dried sage. The full-bodied palate is a little tart and chewy, with dried berry flavors and a rugged finish.

Yvesbeck.wine

94-95

byYves Beckthe5/10/2023

De bonne intensité, le bouquet de Rol Valentin affiche différentes facettes. D'abord la fraîcheur du terroir argilo-calcaire, qu'on lui connaît, ensuite la précision, qu'on lui connaît également ! Il révèle d'invitantes notes de mûres et de pivoines complétées par une touche de réglisse et, finalement, des nuances crayeuses. Le vin se distingue par son caractère linéaire, bien structuré. Ses tannins se révèlent vers le milieu de bouche et offrent un excellent soutien à l'ensemble du palais. Ils sont idéalement secondés par la fraîcheur de la structure acide. Le vin a du pep, de la finesse et de la puissance ! Un Rol Valentin sapide et persistant avec de belles perspectives de garde.

Bettane & Desseauve

91

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/10/2023

Plus d’éclat à ce stade que les autres années à ce stade, avec un tannin chatoyant. En progrès.

Jeb DUNNUCK

91-93

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/10/2023

Vivid purple-hued, with lots of red and black cherry fruits as well as notes of chalky minerality and chocolate, the 2022 Château Rol Valentin is medium to full-bodied and has a nicely balanced, mouth-filling texture, a terrific sense of freshness, and outstanding length. It's certainly up with the finest vintages I've tasted here and might be a match for the 2018 when all is said and done. Tasted twice with consistent notes. 91-93+

Vinous

90-93

byAntonio Gallonithe5/9/2023

The 2022 Rol Valentin is a heady, sensual wine. Silky, aromatic and fleshy, the 2022 has a lot to offer. Crushed flowers, spice, mocha and a hint of sweet oak lead into a core of dark blue/black fruit. Deep and yet also restrained the 2022 offers fine balance, but a bit less extroverted than it has been in the recent past. Tasted two times. Drinking window : 2025-2037

The Wine Independent

84-86

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/8/2023

A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec, the 2022 Rol Valentin is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs some swirling to coax out notes of prunes, dried mulberries, and Christmas cake, plus wafts of tobacco leaf and dried sage. The full-bodied palate is a little tart and chewy, with dried berry flavors and a rugged finish.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94

byJeff Levethe5/5/2023

Deep in hue, the wine is spicy, floral, and fresh, with sweet, ripe, black raspberries, and plums in the perfume. Creamy, soft, and polished, the medium-bodied wine is fresh, supple, and shows a nice depth of fruit on the refined palate. Drink from 2026-2040.

Jamessuckling.com

93-94

byJames Sucklingthe4/19/2023

Perfumed and spiced with dark and blue fruit on offer. Medium-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Plenty of fruit in the center-palate. Remains fresh and bright. 10% malbec.