| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A sexy, full-bodied, very drinkable style of 2005, Eric Prissette’s 2005 Rol Valentin displays loads of black cherry fruit, licorice, Christmas fruitcake and spice. Full-bodied and opulent, it can be drunk over the next 10-15 years. Drink 2015-2030.
Tasted blind. Very dark crimson. Some sweet, coconut notes on the nose – the sort that put me off – but I’m sure the owners thought they were lavishing extra care on this wine that seems a little overdone, in the idiom of the immediate yesteryear in St-Émilion. Aggressive tannins. Hot finish. The half point is for effort. 14%
Drink 2017-2027
Wild aromas of blackberry, dark raspberry, mocha and meat. Sappy, penetrating and deep, with highly concentrated flavors of dark raspberry, truffle, game, minerals and flowers. Offers a superb blend of richness, creamy sweetness and acidity. Finishes very broad and very long, with considerable power. This is downright sexy juice but should really be laid down for at least a decade. "The 2000 still needs ten years, and you should forget about the 2005 for a long time," noted Prissette, who added that the 2002 is tasting great right now.
Wonderful aroma of ripe (but not ultra-ripe) grapes, great body, noble tannins: the best wine ever made by this Château and the result of intelligent work. Up there with some classified first growths.
Proprietor Eric Prissette has fashioned a sensational 2005 with the assistance of consultant Stephane Derenoncourt. It boasts a deep purple color as well as a perfume of charcoal, smoked herbs, crushed rocks, blackberries, ripe cherries, and espresso beans. This full-bodied, formidably endowed St.-Emilion possesses high tannin, abundant extract, superb texture, and admirable purity. A beauty, it may be the finest Rol Valentin made to date. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.
Former rugby player Eric Prissette consistently fashions excellent wines from various parcels in St.-Emilion. At the urging of consultant Stephane Derencourt, Prissette keeps crop yields low (27 hectoliters per hectare), and practices such winemaking techniques as cold soaks, month-long macerations, malolactic in barrel, and aging on lees. The 2,000 cases produced each year are gobbled up by enthusiastic consumers looking for wines that will be drinkable during their first 10-15 years of life. The 1995 is just now hitting its peak, so I suspect Rol Valentin’s aging potential is even longer. The 2005 reveals sweet black cherry notes intermixed with espresso roast, black currants, dried herbs, and spice. The vintage’s fresh acidity and moderately high tannin come through in the mouth, but they are well-integrated, and the wine’s admirable concentration balances out the formidable structure. However, this effort will not be as charming in its youth as other recent vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020+.
Former rugby player Eric Prissette continues to demonstrate a sure touch with his small plots planted in different sections of St.-Emilion. Yields in 2005 were a tiny 27 hectoliters per hectare, and the blend was 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking consultant Stephane Derenoncourt has fashioned an elegant, but powerful, dense blue/purple-colored 2005 revealing a sweet nose of blue and black fruits intermixed with notions of crushed rocks, subtle oak, creme de cassis, and blueberries. Full-bodied, with moderately high tannin, good acidity, and superb definition as well as length, it should be at its peak between 2011-2024.
Currant and blackberry aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fresh finish. Lovely fruit and class in this. Always impressive in serious vintages. Sweet and seductive. Best ever.
Mid crimson. Pretty inexpressive on the nose. Sweet start and then chewy. Quite brutal at this stage. Very marked acidity which gives the wine its framework and then one waits for the fruit to fill in the hole. Dramatic but terribly youthful. Very dry and tight. Ready to taste even? This is a wine made by Derenoncourt whose malos have been notoriously late this year. Drink 2015-25
