diff --git a/ci/tools/validate-release-wheels b/ci/tools/validate-release-wheels
index 5757ca17bc..397153ec77 100755
--- a/ci/tools/validate-release-wheels
+++ b/ci/tools/validate-release-wheels
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
-import re
 import sys
 from collections import defaultdict
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from check_release_notes import parse_version_from_tag
+
 COMPONENT_TO_DISTRIBUTIONS: dict[str, set[str]] = {
     "cuda-core": {"cuda_core"},
     "cuda-bindings": {"cuda_bindings"},
@@ -22,14 +23,16 @@ COMPONENT_TO_DISTRIBUTIONS: dict[str, set[str]] = {
     "all": {"cuda_core", "cuda_bindings", "cuda_pathfinder", "cuda_python"},
 }
 
-TAG_PATTERNS = (
-    re.compile(r"^v(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)"),
-    re.compile(r"^cuda-core-v(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)"),
-    re.compile(r"^cuda-pathfinder-v(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+)"),
-)
+COMPONENT_TO_TAG_COMPONENTS: dict[str, tuple[str, ...]] = {
+    "cuda-core": ("cuda-core",),
+    "cuda-bindings": ("cuda-bindings",),
+    "cuda-pathfinder": ("cuda-pathfinder",),
+    "cuda-python": ("cuda-python",),
+    "all": ("cuda-core", "cuda-bindings", "cuda-pathfinder", "cuda-python"),
+}
 
 
-def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
+def parse_args(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description=(
             "Validate that wheel versions match the release tag. "
@@ -39,18 +42,21 @@ def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser.add_argument("git_tag", help="Release git tag (for example: v13.0.0)")
     parser.add_argument("component", choices=sorted(COMPONENT_TO_DISTRIBUTIONS.keys()))
     parser.add_argument("wheel_dir", help="Directory containing wheel files")
-    return parser.parse_args()
+    return parser.parse_args(argv)
 
 
-def version_from_tag(tag: str) -> str:
-    for pattern in TAG_PATTERNS:
-        match = pattern.match(tag)
-        if match:
-            return match.group("version")
+def version_from_tag(tag: str, component: str) -> str:
+    versions = {
+        version
+        for tag_component in COMPONENT_TO_TAG_COMPONENTS[component]
+        if (version := parse_version_from_tag(tag, tag_component)) is not None
+    }
+    if len(versions) == 1:
+        return versions.pop()
     raise ValueError(
         "Unsupported git tag format "
-        f"{tag!r}; expected tags beginning with vX.Y.Z, cuda-core-vX.Y.Z, "
-        "or cuda-pathfinder-vX.Y.Z."
+        f"{tag!r} for component {component!r}; expected vX.Y.Z, cuda-core-vX.Y.Z, "
+        "or cuda-pathfinder-vX.Y.Z with a valid release version."
     )
 
 
@@ -62,9 +68,14 @@ def parse_wheel_dist_and_version(path: Path) -> tuple[str, str]:
     return parts[0], parts[1]
 
 
-def main() -> int:
-    args = parse_args()
-    expected_version = version_from_tag(args.git_tag)
+def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    args = parse_args(argv)
+    try:
+        expected_version = version_from_tag(args.git_tag, args.component)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        print(f"Error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
     expected_distributions = COMPONENT_TO_DISTRIBUTIONS[args.component]
     wheel_dir = Path(args.wheel_dir)