Chateau Leydet-Valentin Saint Emilion Grand Cru (Organic) 2019 - Bordeaux, France

92/100 James Suckling
91/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
90/100 VertdeVin
Bronze - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

92/100 James Suckling (2018 vintage)
92/100 Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider (2018 vintage)
91/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2018 vintage)
90/100 Wine Enthusiast (2018 vintage)
Bronze - VertdeVin (2018 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2018 vintage)

Silver - Challenge Millesime Bio
Gold - Challenge International du Vin (2018 vintage)
Gold - Concours des Feminalise (2018 vintage)
Silver - Challenge Millesime Bio (2018 vintage)
Silver Decanter World Wine Awards (2018 vintage)

Organic

James Suckling "Fragrant, fruity nose of lavender, raspberries, cranberries, currants and sweet spices. It’s medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins. Juicy and supple with a fresh, delicious finish. Some chocolate and praline notes come through. From organically grown grapes.

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "The certified organic 2019 Leydet Valentin is a blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with vibrant Morello cherries, wild blueberries and warm plums scents plus suggestions of cinnamon toast, wild thyme, fragrant earth and pencil lead. Full-bodied, the decadently fruited palate is not at all heavy thanks to the bright, crunchy red and black fruit flavors, framed by finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy."

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider "Medium-bodied, soft, silky and fresh with a savory edge to the sweet, ripe red fruits. This will be perfect for near-term pleasure."

VertdeVin "The nose is aromatic and spicy. It reveals notes of blackberry, gray pepper / Madagascar pepper and more lightly violet associated with touches of crushed cassis as well as fine hints of racy / graphite minerality and a fine toasted hint. The palate is fruity, balanced and offers juiciness, freshness as well as a mineral frame. On the palate this wine expresses notes of blackberry / pulpy, bright cassis and more slightly of fresh / juicy raspberry associated with touches of violet, black pepper, fine hints of lilac, zan as well as a subtle hint of cardamom and toast. Tannins are fine, precise and racy. Good length."

James Suckling "A firm, chewy red with berry, cherry and some dark chocolate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with solid tannins and a savory finish. Better than I remember. From organically grown grapes." (2018 vintage)

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Leydet Valentin gives up notions of baked cherries, warm plums and mulberries with hints of Indian spices, tobacco and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of fine-grained tannins and great tension, it finishes on a lingering mineral note." (2018 vintage)

Decanter, World Wine Awards “Smoky nose of ripe black plum, liquorice and spice. Ultra ripe cherry, redcurrant and new oak on the palate.” (2018 vintage)

Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast "Ripe black fruits and dark-chocolate flavors highlight this powerful wine. There's a bit of pepperiness from the alcohol, while freshness comes from the black-currant acidity." (2018 vintage)

Jeb Dunnuck "Rich, slightly chunky bouquet of cassis, toasted bread, and spice that comes together nicely with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with lots of fruit, moderate tannins and a good finish, it’s a textured, balanced Saint-Emilion" (2018 vintage)

Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider “a floral, fresh, spicy, roasted cherry filled wine with a plush, silky, dark plum finish.” (2018 vintage)

VertdeVin "The nose is fruity, elegant, quite aromatic and offers a beautiful finesse/finesse of the grain. It reveals notes of juicy Boysen berry, ripe/juicy raspberry and small notes of violet associated with fine touches of caramelization as well as a fine hint of almond. The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a good definition, juiciness, freshness, elegance and a mineral frame. On the palate this wine expresses notes of fleshy cassis, fleshy blackberry and small notes of fleshy violet associated with touches of fleshy/juicy raspberry, small touches of vanilla as well as very discreet hints of grilled almond, nutmeg and a subtle varietal hint." (2018 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Warmed plum and cherry preserve flavors glide through easily, laced with hints of cocoa, tobacco and singed cedar. Merlot and Cabernet Franc." (2018 vintage)

The Winemaker "Slender with plenty of fruits and with touches of species, this wine is charming and deep, distinguished sensation in palate as the alcohol and body are balanced by the freshness of the tannins"

Château Leydet-Valentin and Château de Valois are owned by well respected Frédéric Leydet. With the wineries less than 3 miles from each other, these family owned estates are located in the top growing areas of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, near Cheval Blanc, Figeac, and Angelus. In 2012, Leydet began the conversion to certified organic viticulture, receiving the certification for the 2015 vintages and later vintages.

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines are produced under slightly tighter production restrictions than regular Saint-Émilion wines. As with other grand cru appellations, the intention behind this is to improve the quality, and to distinguish the area's finer wines from the more everyday wines.

Saint-Émilion is a key wine region in the Libournais district of Bordeaux, important in terms of both quality and quantity. Vineyards have been situated in the region since Roman times, and today the Saint-Émilion wine appellation is one of the most prolific in the Bordeaux region, producing more than 250,000hl of wine each vintage. It is also responsible for some of the most prestigious, long-lived and expensive wines in the world – Châteaux Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Figeac and Pavie. Only red wine qualifies for the Saint-Émilion appellation; although a small amount of white wine is made within the appellation, but it must be labelled as Bordeaux Blanc.

Bordeaux, in the southwest of France, needs little introduction as one of the world's most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions. Its three trump cards are diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90 percent of production volume) are the dry, medium- and full-bodied red Bordeaux Blends that established its reputation. The finest (and most expensive) of these come from the great châteaux of the Haut-Médoc and the Right Bank appellations Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.