2014 Rol Valentin
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Tasting notes
The 2014 Rol Valentin has a slightly smudged bouquet with mature leather, loamy scents and a touch of mint. It lacks precision and freshness. The palate is medium-bodied with mint-tinged red fruit laced with cedar. It's linear in style, though it feels abrupt on the finish. I have encountered better vintages of this Saint-Émilion château. Drink soon. Tasted non-blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Rol Valentin has a primal, simple and slightly over-extracted bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with chunky ripe tannin, firm in the mouth with some dry wood tannin poking out on the finish. This does not match the bottle I tasted a few months ago. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.
Tasted blind. Deep crimson. Sweet, creamy, almost lactic! But flattering. For perfection it would have just a little more freshness. Slight heat on the end but the fruit is very fresh. (JR)
The 2014 Rol Valentin offers attractive brambly red berry fruit mixed with cola and sandalwood on the nose, one that gains intensity with just a few swirls of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly gritty tannin. There is admirable weight in the mouth with marine-infused black fruit, however, I just worry about the brusqueness of the tannin on the finish. This just needs a little more flesh to develop and hopefully that will happen with some bottle age. One to keep an eye upon.