Learn everything about Chateau Canon St. Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classe B with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, the history of the property, and information on their vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Canon History, Overview
Chateau Canon, located on the top of the Saint Emilion limestone plateau in view of the village started out life as a part of the Clos St. Martin vineyard in the 1700s.
In 1760, when the Saint Emilion vineyard was much smaller than it is today at 13 hectares, it was purchased by Jacques Kanon. Kanon was an interesting character who earned his fortune as a privateer. Privateer was society’s polite way of saying pirate in those days.
Jacques Kanon expanded the vineyard and estate, bringing it much closer in size to what we have today at Chateau Canon. Kanon also ordered the construction of the original chateau, which was completed in 1767. Kanon sold the estate to Raymond Fontemoing, a Bordeaux wine merchant, after owning the property for about a decade.
There seem to be conflicting theories as to where Chateau Canon took its name. Logically, it would appear that Canon is a phonetic spelling of Kanon. But the Fontemoing family, who just purchased the estate already owned a property in Fronsac named Chateau Canon when they bought their St. Emilion vineyards.
It’s reasonable to assume they wanted to expand their brand name and began selling both of their wines under the same name of Chateau Canon. Either way, by 1770, the wines of what we know of today as Chateau Canon had become an established St. Emilion wine.
In 1853, the great-granddaughter of Raymond Fontemoing officially changed the name of the property to Chateau Canon. The Fontemoing family retained their vineyard through 1857 when it went through being sold and resold multiple times until 1919.
That year, Gabriel Supau bought Chateau Canon as a gift for his daughter and her husband Andre Fournier. The Fournier family invested a lot of money and time in modernizing as well as renovating the estate and its vineyards.
Chateau Canon remained within their control until 1996. In that year, Chateau Canon was sold to Alain Wertheimer and Gerard Wertheimer, the owners of the famous luxury goods manufacturer Chanel.
Chateau Canon was managed by John Kolasa who also oversaw the Chanel group’s other Bordeaux property located in the Margaux appellation, Chateau Rauzan Segla, as well as their large, negociant company, Ulysse Cazabonne until 2015.
Much of the progress in the wines, vineyards, and cellars of Chateau Canon was due to multiple decades of intensive work and effort from the team of Chateau Canon, which was headed by John Kolasa.
Of course, that was coupled with a spare no expense attitude to make the best wine possible as well. After the Wertheimer brothers purchased Chateau Canon, the first order of business was to replant much of the vineyard, which had fallen into poor conditions.
The majority of the vineyard needed replanting. The state of dilapidation was due to disease, negligence, and a lack of funds.
Because the vineyard continues to be replanted in various stages, the replanting work in the vineyards of Chateau Canon is still continuing today. There were issues underneath the vineyards as well.
The underground, limestone quarries, and tunnels were in urgent need of shoring up, as there was a serious danger of a collapse. The entire range of wine-making facilities, vat rooms, and cellars was completely replaced and modernized as well.
In 2012, the chateau began an extensive renovation, which was completed in 2015. In 2014, Nicolas Audebert, the former winemaker at Cheval des Andes, the LVMH property in Mendoza Argentina, was hired to slowly replace the outgoing John Kolasa.
Once Nicolas Audebert was placed fully in charge, another change took place later that year when they brought in Thomas Duclos as their consultant.
Now that they are once again safe, the caves of Chateau Canon are one of the best sites available for wine lovers in the St. Emilion area to visit and explore.
People and builders began extracting the stone about a thousand years ago to build much of Saint Emilion, Libourne, and the villages around Bordeaux. And yes, that includes many of the famous chateaux in the appellation as well. It’s truly an amazing sight.
The limestone situated underneath Chateau Canon is easy to cut. But once it’s outside in contact with air, the stone becomes incredibly hard and dense. It becomes almost impenetrably solid. That is why limestone makes for great building materials. In the 1860s, the quarries were ordered closed due to excessive pilfering of the natural stone.
In the 1950s, some of the caves were used to grow mushrooms. The caves are massive and allow visitors to walk from chateau to chateau. From Canon, you can walk to Beau-Sejour Becot or Clos Fourtet. Gates are all that separate the different estates. The constant temperature of the quarries helps protect the Bordeaux wine vineyard from extreme weather conditions.
Chateau Canon Character and Style
Chateau Canon is a stylish Bordeaux wine. With a real sensation of minerality, ripe dark berries, licorice, and spicy scents, coupled with an opulent personality. It is a wine for consumers with patience. That is because Chateau Canon often takes at least 10-15 or more years before it’s open and ready to drink.
Buyers of Chateau Canon should not be seeking immediate gratification. Instead, they should be willing wait for the complexities that come with age.
The best vintages of Chateau Canon are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2005, 2000, 1989, 1982, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1947 and 1945. Chateau Canon is one of the longest lived wines in St. Emilion, so older vintages could be worth looking into.
While there have been numerous great vintages made at Chateau Canon over the years, 2015 Canon is clearly the best wine ever produced in the history of the property. In fact, in a vintage that is famous for the wines of the Right Bank, 2015 Canon is a contender for wine of the vintage. The team of Nicolas Audebert really did a great job! 2018, 2019, and 2020 are almost at the same level of quality!
Chateau Canon Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 34-hectare vineyard of Chateau Canon is planted to 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. This shows a marked increase in the amount of Cabernet Franc in the vines. There has been a slow, ongoing program to add more Cabernet Franc to the vineyard, which took over 15 years. And it is still ongoing!
Chateau Canon owns 34 hectares of vines. 24 of those hectares are classified as First Growth terroir and are used to produce Chateau Canon. The vineyard of Chateau Canon is located in the heart of the St. Emilion, on the top of the limestone plateau. The terroir is clay and limestone soils.
Their best parcels are close to the chateau, near the cemetery, and in front of the chateau, with views of the St. Emilion village. However, they also have vines further west, as you head to Libourne and on the other side of the slopes, not far from Chateau Quintus. They also have vines on the slopes, close to Chateau Angelus.
The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 5,500 to 6,500 vines per hectare. The newer plantings are all at higher levels of density. Due to the excessive amount or replanting needed when the estate was purchased in 1996, the vines are just now obtaining the age required to produce the level of high-quality wine Chateau Canon is capable of making.
The average age of the vines is now close to 30 years of age. There are old vines, some of which date back to the end of the 1930s. But a lot of the vines are still young and are just now coming into their own. As those vines continue aging, you can count on better vintages from Chateau Canon in the years to come.
The estate recently augmented the size of their vineyards with the purchase of Chateau Matras and prior to that, Chateau Cure Bon. Although the majority of those vines are being used to produce Croix Canon or were sold to other growers. In total, 3.5 hectares of Cure Bon were awarded First Growth status, and in record time, which is incredible, considering how slow the INAO is.
Chateau Canon Winemaking
To produce the wine of Chateau Canon, fermentation takes place in temperatures ranging from 28 – 32 degrees Celsius in double-walled, temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Chateau Canon uses 24 vats ranging in size from 56 hectoliters to 98 hectoliters.
This range of vat sizes allows the estate to vinify the wines on a parcel by parcel basis. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, with a very minor percentage of the wine going through malolactic in French oak barrels. The wine is aged for an average of 18 months in 50% to 60% new, French oak barrels.
There is a second wine, Croix Canon. Starting with the 2012 vintage, the previous name for the second wine, Clos Canon was changed to Croix Canon. On average, the annual production of Chateau Canon now hovers at close to 6,000 cases per vintage. The production can vary up, or down, depending on the quality of the vintage.
When to Drink Chateau Canon, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Canon is much better with at least 10-15 years of aging in good vintages. Young vintages can be decanted for 2-3 hours or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Canon offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-40 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Canon with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Canon is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Canon is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Canon is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Château Canon Wine Tasting Notes
48 Vintages 556,684 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
2023
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Violets, roses, and lilacs kick off the floral display. You also find cherries, plums, black raspberries, cigar box, and spice, with a touch of licorice. There is a balance between the vivacity, and sweetness, a strong sense of crushed rocks, and stones, depth, and intensity. The finish is racy, in all the best ways, which is the perfect backdrop for the wine's layers of salt-tinged fruits that linger. The best part of the wine is that the fruit expresses a beautiful sense of purity, with no hard . edges. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV. 3.41. Harvesting took place September 6 - October 4. The length of the harvest is one of the key points to the vintage, as the estate was able to stop, start, and wait for phenolic ripeness. Drink from 2030- 2060. 97-99 Pts. 2,084 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
2023
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Black raspberries, flowers, mint, cedar, and tobacco produce the aromatic profile. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, refined, and bright, the red fruits are vibrant, with a refreshing spearmint edge to the finish. The wine blends 54% Merlot with 46% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2040. 91-93 Pts. 873 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
2022
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Dark in color, the wine kicks open the door with its floral bouquet. From there, you find in the perfume, crushed stone, red fruits, licorice, spice, and wild cherries. On the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced between elegance and finesse on one side, and silky, fresh, sexiness and sensuality on the other side. The fruit shows a remarkable sense of purity. There are no hard edges. The finish is seamless. This is the best vintage since 2015. And in time, it could even be better! Drink from 2027-2060. 98-100 Pts. 7,678 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
2022
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Flowers, cherries, spice, mint, spearmint, and licorice create the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, sweet, soft, silky, and refined. The fruits are clean, pure, and elegant. The wine lingers, finishing with minty freshness. 2022 marks a change here. It is important to note that for the first time you find a majority of Cabernet Franc in the blend, which is 59% Cabernet Franc with 41% Merlot. Drink from 2025-2040. 92-94 Pts. 2,646 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
2021
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Talk about on top of their game, even in the difficult 2021 vintage, Canon managed to produce one of the wines of the vintage! The perfume pops with little effort as you already find its bouquet of violets, spearmint, cigar wrappers, black cherries, plums, licorice and cocoa. And the palate is even better with its edgy freshness, sweet, red berries, plums and red plums, fresh cherries, herbs, and a touch of fennel along with salty accents in the elegant mid-palate and finish. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2055. 1,164 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024The nose stands out with its nuances of flowers, crushed stones, spearmint, cigar wrapper, red plums, fresh cherries, herbs, and a touch of fennel. The wine is all about its freshness, purity, energy and elegant nature, finishing with silky tannins with their trademark touch of salt, mint leaf, and sweet, vibrant red berries. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 16 - October 6. Drink from 2026-2055. 94-96 3,159 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
2021
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Vibrant, elegant, soft, forward, and already approachable with its core of flowers, leafy herbs, tobacco leaf, spearmint, and spicy, savory, olive-tinted, cherries. This fresh, medium-bodied wine is good to go on release. This is perfect for early drinking pleasure while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2024-2033. 733 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Medium-bodied, floral, bright, savory, fresh and crisp, with an underbrush, tobacco leaf and strawberry and red plum finish. This is perfect for early drinking pleasure, while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2022-2030. 89-91 1,782 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
2020
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A stunning textural experience with its silky, velvet drenched profiled. Aromatically, you find flowers, black, red and blue fruits, licorice, and crushed rocks in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is all about its polished silk profile, which is the perfect backdrop for all of its layers of sensuous fruits, freshness and purity, finishing with a touch of salt on the backend. The seamless finish delivers length going on for over 50 seconds. Drink from 2025-2060. 10,454 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Aromatically, this is off the hook with flowers, black, red and blue fruits, licorice, black raspberry, forest leaf, wild cherries and crushed rocks. With polished silk and velvet textures, the wine balances weight, depth, energy and concentration. The layers of perfectly ripe, sweet, fresh, red and black fruits keep on coming. On the palate the wine is both concentrated and weightless, making this is far too easy to drink. The seamless finish delivers length and purity that goes on for more than 60 seconds. This is as good as the famous 2015, and by the time it is in bottle, it could be even better. The wine blends 68% Merlot with 32% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV pH 3.53 98-100 Pts 12,002 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
2020
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Dried flowers, black raspberries, kirsch, licorice, citrus rind and spice create the gorgeous nose. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is even better with its showy display of fresh, silky, red plums, cherries and supple-textured, elegant finish, with just a hint of salty rocks that comes in at the very end of the finish. Drink from 2023-2037. 1,815 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023 |
2019
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
One of the few wines I was not able to taste in barrel, what's worth having is worth waiting for. This stunner presents an aromatic display combining crushed rocks, stones, flowers and red fruits. If that wasn't enough, the wine really kicks in on the palate with its freshness, concentration, energy, purity and length, which is the perfect backdrop for all the layers of refined, elegant, silky textured, red fruits along with that often, elusive sense of minerality on the palate and in the finish. Drink from 2034-2055. 9,367 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
2019
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Forward, silky, fresh and vibrant, with a clear focus on its core of lifted red fruits and flowers. Medium-bodied, refined and vibrant, with an already delicious display of sweet, fresh, cherries, you can enjoy this beauty on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2022-2034. 1,460 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
2018
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Wow, that's what I am talking about! Flowers and crushed rocks galore, with layers of sweet, perfectly ripe, cherries and plums that offers incredible purity. Elegant, silky and sexy, with a seamless finish gracefully coating your palate with endless layers of sensuously textured ripe fruits and cashmere tannins. This is effortless to drink. This will give the triple digit 2015 a run for the money when it matures. The wine blends 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV. 7,559 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021With delicate, cashmere tannins, the wine is lavish, opulent, fresh and loaded with ripe black fruits, licorice, smoke, plums, minerals, flowers and cherries. The wine balances perfectly with elegance and a wealth of sensuous fruits. There is length, which is what the doctor ordered as you want to enjoy as much of this for as long as possible. The wine blends 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV. Picking took place September 7 to October 9, making 2018 the longest harvest in the history of the property. 97-99 Pts 9,200 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
2018
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, fresh, refined, sweet, soft textured red fruits provide a good entry in the Grand Vin. You can drink this now while waiting for its big brother to age and evolve. 1,929 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021 |
2018
Croix Canon (St. Émilion)
Medium bodied, elegant, forward, soft and fresh, with ample ripe, red fruits and licorice to keep you busy, waiting for its big brother to mature. 89-91 Pts 3,592 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
2017
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Juicy, sweet, fresh and stony, the lively, ripe, red berries taste as if they were crushed and drizzled over rocks and stones. Add in some licorice, touch of smoke, silky tannins and an assortment of plums, and well, you get the idea. Lay this down for about a decade before pulling a cork. 7,448 Views Tasted May 17, 2020With a dark red-purple color, the wine is supple and sleek. The fruit is ambrosial. There is vigor and length. The finish lingers along the tiers of ripe dark and red fruits and glycerin. Formulated from a blend of 73% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14% ABV. 10,503 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
2016
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Tightening up at the moment, but with decanting and coaxing you can find the strong floral bouquet, with additional nuances of red plums, black cherries, licorice, smoke, espresso, and spice. The wine is full, deep, polished, fresh, lively, and refined, with a finish of pure elegance. However, it is resting at the moment, so it is best to wait a few years before pulling a cork. Drink from 2025-2055. 8,220 Views Tasted Feb 13, 2023Flowers,, smoke, thyme, crushed rocks, citrus, mint and dark red fruits create a complex perfume. The wine is full-bodied, deep and loaded with perfectly ripe, lush, intense, mouth filling fruits. There is length, purity, freshness, complexity and sensuous, silky characteristics in the finish. This is a stunner! 10,225 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019The second vintage for Nicolas Audebert is another home-run! With a deep attention grabbing color, the nose offers its blend of black cherry, plum, licorice, flowers, salt and stone, with just a bit of coaxing. Fresh, bright, ripe red fruits are all over the place, giving you a sexy, sensual, sweet, fruit filled finish. 9,946 Views Tasted Feb 11, 2019Crisp, fresh, vibrant, lively red fruits, freshly picked flowers and stone are the first things you notice. On the palate, the wine is full bodied, silky, concentrated and precise, with lift and energy in the finish. This will be ageworthy and require 15 years or so before offering its ample charms. 11,960 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Inkjet black purple in color, you have depth, length and concentration. There is a waterfall of flawlessly ripe fruit and a quarry of crushed rocks with licorice and flowers. This is a wealthy wine, infused with lushness, opulence, density and intensity. The finish lingers, owing to the layers of ripe fruit and glycerin. The wine was made from a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.2% ABV with a pH of 3.6. 12,251 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
2015
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Mark my words, this is a future legendary vintage for Canon! It gets everything right from the moment the wine hits the glass. Aromatically, the wine offers flowers, crushed rock, black and red fruits, spearmint, licorice, and hints of tobacco. On the palate, it is even better with its multiple layers of silk-drenched fruits, cashmere tannins, and seamless, over 60-second finish. This is so good now, and it has only started on its journey. Drink from 2022-2060. 10,370 Views Tasted Nov 28, 2022Truffle, flowers, smoke, licorice, wet earth, dark plums and black cherry aromas reach your nose as soon as the wine hits the glass. Full bodied, sensuous and silky, the wine is deeply concentrated and also effortless to drink. The finish lingers for close to 60 seconds. This is a future legend in the making. 15,610 Views Tasted May 21, 2018Wow! No, make that a double wow, this tremendous wine has it all. That is, if you like silky, sensuous textures, layer after layer of deep, perfectly ripe, black and red fruits, a nose that blends just picked scents of flowers, cherries, tobacco, crushed rocks and wet earth aromatics. I am sticking with my initial descriptor here, this is the ultimate, intellectual, sex bomb. I am happy to have this stunner in my cellar. 16,094 Views Tasted Mar 12, 2018Still on the right road to triple digit stardom, this debut vintage under the direction of Nicolas Audebert rocks! The wine is firming up a bit, adding more structure and nuances, while maintaining the wall of perfectly ripe fruit, sexy textures and polished tannins. Early buyers that took our advice on this one are sitting on liquid gold! 17,254 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017The first vintage under the direction of Nicolas Audebert is a knockout! The color is dark and the nose complex. Its floral, stone, boysenberry and blackberry liqueur profile commands your attention. On the palate, this wine is dense, thick, concentrated and focused on layers of fat, sweet, velvet-wrapped fruits. There is an astonishing level of density coupled with length, minerality and purity of fruit in this wine. It’s made with such a high level of artisanship and style, it’s hard not to want to drink it right now! The best way to sum up this wine: it’s an intellectual, sex bomb! Angelina Jolie meets Madame Curie. Made from a blend of 73% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Franc. 98-100 Pts 15,813 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
2014
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
On the fresh, bright, mineral driven side of the style range, with a floral, crushed rock, fennel and cherry core of fruit and spice. Give this at least 5-7 years to come together. 8,109 Views Tasted Feb 5, 2017Black cherry, licorice, tobacco, crushed stone and wet earth on the nose, this wine has a fresh, silky, soft, sweet, red berry center, finishing with freshness and lively, ripe cherries. Blended with 72% Merlot with 28% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14% ABV with a pH of 3.7 and is aging in 70% new, French oak barrels. 91-93 Pts 6,241 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
2014
Croix Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Ready to drink, soft, plummy earthy, medium-bodied, fresh wine with a licorice and cherry-oriented, easy-drinking finish. No decanting required Just pop and pour. 3,290 Views Tasted Mar 28, 2021 |
2013
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Close to mature, the wine is light, fresh and already easy drinking. You find fresh red cherries, hints of licorice and earth from start to finish. Splash decanting was more than ample for the wine to show its best. 5,454 Views Tasted May 20, 2018Fresh, bright, mineral driven and filled with plums, flowers, cherries and a hint of oak, the wine is medium bodied, stony and focused. Showing much better from the bottle than it did in barrel, with a few years of age, this could be even better. 2,589 Views Tasted Feb 18, 2016With a hint of oak, flowers and dark cherries, the wine is medium bodied, sweet, soft and forward in style with a light, fresh red berry and spice finish. Using 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc for the blend, the wine reached 13% ABV. The Grand Vin represents 53.6% of the production. The wine is aging in 70% new, french oak. 89-91 Pts 2,233 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
2013
Croix Canon (St. Émilion)
With light, fresh red fruits and spice, this easy-to-drink wine is perfect for restaurants. 85-88 Pts 1,807 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
2012
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Crushed stone, espresso, truffle and roasted plum create the already complex aromas. On the palate, the wine is soft, medium/full bodied with a sweet, spicy, elegant, finesse styled, soft, black cherry and thyme finish. 4,572 Views Tasted May 15, 2015Earth, stone, fresh red berries, medium-bodied, soft and fresh, this is a forward style for Canon, making it one of the vintages tasters can enjoy young. 90-92 Pts 5,047 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
2011
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
It's hard to believe a wine of this quality was produced in a difficult vintage, but the truth is in the glass. Right? Here you find beautifully, ripe, sweet, fresh cherries, earthy nuances, medium body, soft ripe tannins and a purity of fruit in the finish that holds its own. 3-5 years of cellaring will have this really showing well. 5,030 Views Tasted Nov 14, 2017Tight, the wine needed coaxing to bring out its mineral driven, black raspberry, plum, dark cherry and oak nose. The fruit is bright, fresh, deep and dominated by spicy, ripe red berries and kirsch in the long finish. 5,068 Views Tasted Feb 20, 2014Blending 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.55% ABV and will be aged in 70% new oak. The Merlot was harvested starting September 7, for the young vines and September 13 for the old vines, ending September16. Cabernet Franc was picked September 16 -17. Floral, stone, cherry blossom, black raspberry and kirsch create the complex aromatics. Silky, soft and fresh, the precise finish ends with round, sweet, pure red berries and minerality. 92-93 Pts 3,143 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2012 |
2010
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fresh, bright, pure and stony, The wine is medium-bodied, elegant and uplifting, with loads of sweet, red fruits and plum in the finish. This is a long term ager, so, give it at least 5 years or more for further development. 6,491 Views Tasted Nov 8, 2019Canon is never the ripest or richest wine, instead it offers a finesse style, with ripe, fresh fruits coupled with a sense of purity, intense minerality and the structure to age and develop for decades. As the vineyard continues to age, I expect the future vintages of Chateau Canon will be even better in the years to come. 5,736 Views Tasted May 7, 2013Minerality, licorice, toffee, red and black plums, blueberries, truffle and spice box aromas. This is the darkest color I have ever seen in a young vintage of Canon. It's also the ripes I;ve ever tasted. as well as the most ABVic. But there is no sensation of heat, even though this is 15% ABV by volume. With layers of concentrated ripe fruit, opulent textures and structure to age, this beautiful St. Emilion ends with a big mouthful of fresh, juicy, ripe, black raspberries, jam, licorice and black cherries. Like all great vintages of Canon, this will require at least a decade or more before it opens and starts to express its personality. 94-95 Pts 4,868 Views Tasted Aug 3, 2011From a blend of 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, (which is the same mix as found in the vineyards,) the wine is deep ruby in color and reached 14.8% ABV. Yet, there is no sensation of heat. People who prefer tasting by the numbers could have problems with this wine, but I loved it! An intoxicating perfume filled with minerality, licorice, black raspberry jam, hints of oak and chocolate, this is the richest, most concentrated wine produced by the Kolasa team yet. Thick, intense and filled with fresh, perfectly ripe plums, blackberries and licorice, the wine feels great as it falls over your palate and coats your mouth. 94-96 Pts. 4,721 Views Tasted Apr 22, 2011 |
2009
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Not quite as opulent as many wines from 2009, here, the wine focuses on its floral and ocean nose, along with nuances of sweet, red cherries, and plums with a hint of licorice. Soft, bright, and fresh, with soft tannins and a long, red fruit and salt-packed finish, this is just now starting to be fun to taste. But its best days are in the future. 5,278 Views Tasted May 30, 2022The color is starting to show signs of maturity as is the nose, with its roasted smoky berries, truffle, wet earth and 5 spice notes. On the palate the wine is taking on a silky character, with more softness and flesh. The elegant, lifted red pit fruit and spice in the end note is starting to be in a good place. 4,704 Views Tasted Sep 20, 2019Minerality is the first thing you notice, fresh black raspberry, plum, anise, coffee and cherry notes add to the complexity. From a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the wine combines ripe flavors, concentration, freshness, structure and balance to create a St. Emilion that demands at least a decade, if not 15 years to full open up. 6,076 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2012Never the darkest wine from St. Emilion, the wine offers oak, flowers, plums, licorice, stone, cherries and pipe tobacco aromas. From a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the wine offers rich textures and layers of sweet, ripe, spicy black and red fruits. This is a wine to lay down for at least a decade. 5,584 Views Tasted Aug 3, 20112009 Canon is a dark ruby offering whose mineral, floral, dark raspberry, spice, and licorice aromatics pair well with a mouthful of intense, silky, sweet berries. The wine has purity and freshness, and finishes with flavors of plums, spice, and licorice. Canon now includes some fruit from the replanting done in 1998. New plantings are of cabernet franc vines. The vineyards are currently 25% cabernet franc. Over time they will increase to 35%. 93-95 Pts 5,847 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2010 |
2008
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fresh, clean, crisp, stony, pure and showing its mineral essence, the wine is refined, bright and focuses on the red plums and cherries in its core. 4,503 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018Minerality, flowers, cherry, blackberry, floral scents and a kiss of oak are found in the perfume. This elegant wine is filled with fresh red and black fruit. Canon generally speaking, is not a wine produced to be drunk young. The 2008 might prove to be an exception to the rule. 5,468 Views Tasted Jan 25, 20112008 Canon offers a mineral driven perfume that is complicated with black fruit, plums, anise, coca and plums. With ample round tannins and elegant textures, this wine is built to age. The finish ends with black raspberry and fresh dark cherry flavors. 93 Pts 5,807 Views Tasted Jul 18, 2010 |
2006
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, firm, refined and youthful, the wine is fresh, mineral driven and displays a floral, sweet cherry and plum character. Give this another 5-7 years for more development and softer tannins. 5,870 Views Tasted May 25, 2016 |
2005
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Interestingly, every time I have tasted this wine, the score keeps ratcheting up. Not quite mature, but close, here you find notes of flowers, licorice, crushed rocks, salt, and a melange of red fruits with a gentle touch of fennel in the perfume. Medium-bodied, elegant, vibrant, silky, and refined, the wine finishes with earthy ripe, sweet red fruits salty tannins, and soft textures. This is showing quite well now and it will be even better with a bit more time. 4,295 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2021Young, fresh, vibrant and developing better than expected, the floral, earth, sweet cherry, licorice, crushed rock and spice characteristics are starting to really shine. Soft, silky, but on the crisp, fresh side, give this another 5 years for further development and softening. 4,739 Views Tasted May 14, 2016From 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine is starting to show some lightening in the color. Truffle, cherry blossoms, tobacco and forest scents are already peeking through the cloak of sleep. Elegant and refined on the palate, the wine is soft, round and shows fresh red fruits, spice and stone in the finish. Still young, this will be even better in 10 years. 5,400 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2015With their 05, they announced they want to begin producing wines like they did in 82 and 89. Elegant, silky, good levels of richness and a slightly tannic spine with a good touch of minerals make this wine interesting to taste. 6,517 Views Tasted Jan 20, 2008 |
2004
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Crisp red and black plums, tobacco, earth and stone aromas create the perfume. Medium bodied, very fresh, bright and perhaps a bit too lively on the palate, with its focus on strawberries, red plum and tart cherry notes. 3,624 Views Tasted Nov 30, 2014It took a few hours to open and allow the licorice truffle, mint, cassis earth and plum scents to develop. There is a sense of harshness in the tannins that leaves you a little dry in the bright, spicy, black cherry finish. It's still young, so give it another 5 years. 5,642 Views Tasted Sep 5, 2012 |
2003
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, with a jammy, earthy, red fruit nose, the wine is soft, bright and ready to drink. 6,856 Views Tasted Dec 18, 2013 |
2002
Clos Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Earth, cherry and tobacco scents lead to a medium bodied, light, red fruit finish. This is fully mature and should be drunk up. 2,194 Views Tasted Feb 21, 2012 |
2001
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
2001 Canon opens with chocoalte, black raspberry, coffee, licorice, smoke and minerality. Medium to full bodied, this silky, soft textured wine ends with fresh black raspberry flavors. 3,841 Views Tasted Nov 1, 2010 |
2000
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fresh, bright, medium-bodied, elegant, soft, and a bit crisp, the wine is packed with dried flowers, crushed rocks, stones, bright red cherries, red plums, earth, and thyme. This is good now, but it's just starting to show well and is only going to continue developing for several more years from here. 4,319 Views Tasted Sep 30, 2021Slowly starting to come around. At this stage, it's slightly more interesting on the nose, with its floral, stone, fresh cherry, earth and black raspberries than on the palate. Medium/full bodied, elegant and refined, with the ability age and improve, the wine offers a fresh, delicate, pure plum and cherry profile. 4,404 Views Tasted May 24, 2014 |
1998
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, fresh, bright and vibrant, with a nose packed with flowers, sweet cherries, plum, earth and thyme, silky tannins and a fruit filled finish that leaves with ample, ripe, black raspberries and cherries. 4,332 Views Tasted Dec 30, 2015 |
1995
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Bright, crisp, fresh and floral, with a core of red berries, herbs, tobacco leaf, earth and oyster shell, the wine is better on the nose, than on the crisp, lifted, strict red berry palate. This is very classic in nature, o folks seeking less ripe, more tannic wines will enjoy this more than I did. 4,898 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2020 |
1990
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium/full bodied, bright, fresh and juicy, with accents of smoke, truffle, flowers and forest notes that ride along with the red fruits. Soft in texture and volume, the wine is subtle and focuses on its bright red berry filled finish. This is probably at peak. So if you are sitting on a few bottles, break out the corkscrew. 4,825 Views Tasted Nov 13, 2018 |
1989
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Close to fully mature, the floral, tobacco, peppery boysenberry, smoke and earthy nose is a turn on. Medium/full bodied, with a bit of a green bite in the finish that also provides minty, black cherry notes, the wine is soft, with a hint of old-school rusticity on the palate. The wine is more savory than sweet, which makes sense with its slightly strict palate presence. Decanted about 1 hour in advance of tasting, this is probably not a long-term hold. This is a wine to like, but not to love. If you are holding on to any bottles, it is time to pop a cork. 4,351 Views Tasted May 12, 2018Intense minerality is the first thing you sense, followed by fresh black cherry, floral, spice and earthy aromatics. Elegant and regal in style, this traditional wine is still young and retains a lot of freshness. The wine ends with long notes of fresh ripe wild strawberry, black cherry and dark raspberries. As good as it is, this will improve for at least another 10-15 more years. 5,573 Views Tasted Jul 9, 2010Deep ruby in color. The enjoyable nose expresses spice, herbs, truffles, and licorice, along with hints of plum. Very sexy in the mouth, this tasty treat spills ripe, black cherries all over your mouth in the long, enjoyable finish. 5,637 Views Tasted Jun 20, 2009Lush dark, red fruits, stone and herbs make a beautiful perfume. This plush, opulent, silky wine could use more concentration to make it really rock. Regardless, it's a treat to taste. 5,642 Views Tasted May 5, 2009 |
1985
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Not a bottle I would hang on to, as the fruit seems to be fading. Better on the dried flower, tobacco, and red plum nose, than on the medium-bodied, soft, vibrant, silky, but, light, red berry palate. Drink from 2023-2025. 1,935 Views Tasted Sep 4, 2023Supple, round, lush, soft, polished, and loaded with ripe, sweet, plums, black cherry, licorice, and forest leaf, along with a touch of cigar wrapper and crushed stone. Fully mature, there is no reason to hold off from popping a cork. 3,527 Views Tasted May 30, 2022Fully mature, with a floral, cherry, black raspberry, tobacco and earthy nose, the wine is medium bodied, elegant, fresh and ends with sweet, ripe, earthy, red berries in the finish. 4,261 Views Tasted Jan 22, 2016 |
1983
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Fully developed, medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and aromatic, with an aromatic profile of dried flowers, tobacco leaves, cherries, thyme, and crushed rocks. Finesse styled, refined, soft, and vibrant, the elegant, red berry finish leaves you with a touch of salt on top of the fruits. No decanting needed. Pop, pour, and enjoy. Drink from 2024-2034. 2,055 Views Tasted Mar 11, 2024 |
1982
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
82 Canon is a beautiful wine, elegant, silky, earthy, floral, herbal and on the fresh, ripe, red berry side of the style range. Medium-bodied, and not quite as concentrated as it was, while still a treat, it’s time to drink up over the next 5 years or so, as it’s not going to get better from here. 4,122 Views Tasted Jan 17, 2022Fully-developed, elegant, earthy, supple, silky and fresh, you also find a beautiful truffle and earthy accent that comes along with all the ripe, sweet, red berries. Aged elegance is all over the place here. There is no reason to wait if you own a bottle, just pull the cork and enjoy. 4,138 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2021The best bottle yet from my slowly dwindling case, this is drinking just great. Aromatic, silky, fresh, vibrant, floral and earthy, the wine combines complexity and hedonism, finishing with layers of sweet, ripe, juicy cherries that feel as good as they taste. Well stored bottles have at least another 10 years or more at this high level before the wine gently declines. 5,763 Views Tasted Oct 14, 2019Much better than the previous bottle, this was richly textured, silky and fresh. The nose offered cherry pipe tobacco, flowers, truffle and plum notes. Elegant and refined, this is drinking great today. 3,912 Views Tasted Dec 16, 2018Better on the nose than on the palate, which I hope is relegated to this specific bottle, because normally, this is a beauty. Flowers, licorice and black cherry scents are the tip of the bouquet, the palate for this bottle was a bit light and short, lacking the body and length, normally associated with this wine. 4,304 Views Tasted Sep 25, 2017Popped and poured, the wine is elegant, earthy, fresh, complex, silky, long and fresh. Definitely drinking great today, this is a beauty that blends refinement with sex appeal. For a bottle of this quality from the legendary 1982 vintage, it's also available for a fair price today, especially at auction. 4,379 Views Tasted Apr 7, 2016At 30 years of age, there are no great wines, just great bottles. This was great bottle. The floral, cherry blossom, crushed stone, forest floor and cigar box aromatics were enticing. On the palate, the patina of silk and velvet that accompanied the wave of fresh, sweet, ripe, pure cherries felt great. Popped and poured, the wine got better and better in the glass. This is worth finding a few bottles, if they have good provenance. 4,146 Views Tasted May 17, 2015Delivers a lot of pleasure that will not break the bank. Tobacco, minerals, truffles, back cherry, blackberry, chocolate, mint and hints of cinnamon fill your nose with pleasure. Full bodied, concentrated and opulent in the mouth, this sensuous, sexy little thing delivers a lot of pleasure. While mature, there is no hurry to drink a well stored bottle, as there is ample stuffing to last for at least another decade. 5,339 Views Tasted Nov 8, 2012Flowers, truffles, white cherries, stone and earth scents make up the complex perfume. Full bodied, rich, concentrated, balanced and elegant, at close to 30 years of age, this beautiful St. Emilion is running on all cylinders. The wine ends with an earthy, soft, sweet, licorice over red and black fruit finish. 7,467 Views Tasted Jun 3, 2011This wine offered a perfume of rich, black fruit, herbs, olives, flowers and earth. Silky, lush entry. Lots of depth. Ripe red and black fruits please the palate. Some tannin remains. 3,565 Views Tasted Jan 10, 2009Plums, herbs, spice and truffle aromatics are easy to find. Elegant, round, plush and silky in texture, this plush wine is mature and will deliver pleasure for several years. 3,352 Views Tasted Mar 2, 2007 |
1975
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Earth, tobacco, truffle, cigar box, cherry blossom, strawberry and spice aromatics led to a medium bodied wine with surprisingly, soft tannins for the vintage. This was from a bottle that has not moved from the chateau since the day it was bottled. 5,074 Views Tasted May 1, 2012 |
1964
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
A beautiful wine in every way, the nose with its earth, tobacco, cigar box, spice, plum, cherry and cherry perfume hit all the right notes. But it was the palate, with its silky textures, fresh, sweet, ripe, soft red plums and rocks that sealed the deal. Well-stored examples of this are worth seeking out at auction today. 3,531 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2020Opening older bottles is always a risk. There are times when the wine disappoints and there are nights when you really get lucky. and the wine just rocks. Fortunately, this bottle rocked! At days before it 54th birthday, just a pop & pour was all that was needed to display the floral, tobacco, cherry and stone nuances. The wine had concentration, freshness and fruit that felt great on your palate. The wine lingered in the glass for over 2 hours with no degradation! The finish reminds of eating fresh, juicy plums while smoking a fabulous, aged Cuban cigar! I'm temped to give it another point, as this was great. 4,348 Views Tasted Dec 22, 2017Fully mature, it took about 20 minutes in the glass for the wine to strut its tobacco, black cherry, truffle and earthy nose. Silky, soft and polished, there are no tannins remaining here. The finish shows a nice, dark cocoa and cherry note. 3,573 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2017The best bottle of this wine I have ever tasted. Combining truffles with a flower garden, ripe red, sweet, spicy fruits, elegant textures and a long, sweet, spicy fruit, this is drinking amazingly well for a 50 year old bottle of wine. 3,538 Views Tasted Apr 16, 2016Truffle, tobacco, cherry blossom, earth and crushed stone scents create the perfume. Medium bodied and fully mature, the wine ended with a clean, albeit too short of a spicy, cherry filled finish. This was much better on the nose than on the palate. I've tasted better bottles. But at close to 50 years of age, there are no things as great wines, just great bottles. 4,141 Views Tasted Feb 13, 2012Truffle, cigar box, smoke, cherry blossoms, leather, kirsch and stone aromatics are found in abundance. With textures of silk, the wine offers purity, spice and a complete, beginning, middle and end. The only quibble is, the finish while complete, was short. This St. Emilion wine at close to 50 years is probably not going to improve. But it is no danger of falling apart, as the wine remained strong for over 2 hours in the glass! This is a delicious, fully mature Bordeaux wine that is drinking perfectly, provided the bottle has good provenance. 3,539 Views Tasted Oct 16, 2011 |
1962
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Light and fading, the wine was showing a beautiful, earthy, tobacco and floral nose, but on the palate, the fruit has started to fade. 3,912 Views Tasted May 1, 2012 |
1959
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
This mature St. Emilion offers complex aromatics of coffee, roses, licorice, stone, truffle and forest floor. This concentrated, round and elegant wine is filled with rich textures and minerality. The wine finished with waves of soft, polished ripe dark cherries and strawberry poured over crushed stone. 4,079 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2010 |
1957
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The color of rose hip tea, medium bodied and showing a more acid than fruit in the austere finish, this is a little bit more than a little past fully mature. Yet, it was not bad considering the reputation of this seldom seen vintage. 2,475 Views Tasted May 1, 2012 |
1956
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
This could be the rarest wine I have ever tasted. It was my fist tasting of any wine from the year that is best known for the brutal frost that destroyed much of the Bordeaux vineyards. Served blind, I thought it was an early 60's or late 50's wine from a moderate vintage. Close to the color of a rose hip tea, filled with spice, leather, truffle, forest, coffee and crushed stone scents, this medium bodied wine ended with a strawberry, dark cherry finish. Much of the quality from this wine comes the natural low yields caused by the harsh winter weather. 3,304 Views Tasted Jul 8, 2010 |
1955
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
From a magnum, this was beautiful in every sense of the word. The floral, crushed stone, truffle, plum, cherry and earthy nose could keep you busy all night long. On the palate, the refined, wine is fresh, with a focus on elegant textures, sweet red fruits and the patina of age. 3,446 Views Tasted May 7, 2015More than fully mature aromas of bacon fat, brown sugar, truffle, earth, tobacco leaf, stone and cherry are present as soon as the wine hits the glass. Medium/full bodied with a short, tart, cherry and cranberry finish. This bottle was much better on the nose than the palate. Owners of this rare wine should know, it requires consumption. 4,880 Views Tasted Oct 16, 2012This fully mature Bordeaux wine, with its smoke, spice, earth, plum and jammy berry filled nose is sweet, ripe, elegant and round in your mouth. This sensuous wine ends withlush, spicy dark berries and plums. 3,536 Views Tasted Jul 7, 2010 |
1953
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Served blind, this beauty seemed at least two decades younger than its true age. From a magnum that had not been moved since it was bottled, the wine exploded with truffle, wild cherries, floral, spice, strawberry, forest and herbal scents. Silky in texture, refined and elegant, the wine finished with a beautiful wave of fresh, ripe, red berries. What a treat! 4,662 Views Tasted May 18, 2013 |
1943
Château Canon (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
I seldom have the chance to taste war years wines, and while most are not exciting, the chance to participate in liquid history is never lost on me. Light tea with some ruby in color, the light wine offered a leafy, incense and spice profile with some, fresh cherries at its core. The wine was bright, tart and crisp in the strawberry oriented finish. 2,565 Views Tasted Nov 14, 2017 |