"There’s a scant 125 cases of the 2012 Valery, and this blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc comes most from Dick Boushey’s 1986 planting of Merlot (the Cab Franc comes all from Champoux). Aged 20 months in 60% new French oak, it has beautiful density, medium to full-bodied richness and ripe tannin, as well as perfumed aromas and flavors of black raspberry, chocolate-covered cherries, wild herbs and toasted spice. I like it today, but have no doubts about its ability to evolve nicely for 15 years or more."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #219, June 2015), 92+ pts
"(35% new oak): Healthy bright ruby. Lovely mineral lift to the aromas of cassis, kirsch, violet, mocha and black pepper. Comes across as more pliant than the 2012 and a bit more nuanced in the early going, perhaps because winemaker Peterson reduced the percentage of new oak from 60%, offering a sexy sweetness but also lovely clarity to its dark berry and clove flavors. Finishes with a rich note of bitter chocolate and excellent length. Give this beauty at least a few years in the cellar."
"(bottled in early June; 30% new oak): Bright red-ruby. Strong floral character to the dark aromas of blackberry, blueberry and sweet, spicy oak. The smooth dark berry fruit conveys penetrating sweetness, with subtle oak spices contributing complexity. This concentrated, very pliant wine finishes with suave, dusty tannins and palate-staining sweet cassis. The oak here is in perfect harmony with the wine's sappy fruit. Winemaker Peterson used much more Cabernet Franc in 2014 than in 2013, to exhilarating effect. - Stephen Tanzer"
"This wine is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, with the fruit coming from Boushey and Champoux vineyards. Seeing just 30% new French oak, the wine emphasizes the fruit, with wound-up aromas of herb, bay leaf, pencil lead and red cherry. The palate shows an exquisite sense of restraint along with a compelling mouthfeel. It's a beautiful expression of these two varieties, all about subtlety. Give it time to open up."
"The Right Bank-styled effort from this estate is the 2014 Valery (60/40 Merlot and Cabernet Franc), and it sports a deep ruby/purple-tinged color as well as a rounded, sexy style in its black cherry, plum, chocolate and earth-driven aromas and flavors. Expansive, full-bodied and downright sumptuous, drink this pleasure-bent beauty over the coming decade or more. - Jeb Dunnuck."
"The 2015 Valery (70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc brought up in 30% new French oak) offers a deep, herbal, black-fruited, coffee bean and mineral-driven style. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and fresh on the palate, with fine tannin, give this elegant, classic, slightly old-school effort a year or two of bottle age and enjoy over the following decade."