Château Canon Saint-Émilion 2022 - 1er Grand Cru Classé B

Guide Hachette des vins

About wine:

Always imbued with great elegance, this vintage never imposes its power. In this complete vintage, it stands out for its fresh red fruit, complex floral and spicy nuances, and ripe, refined tannins. Lively with beautiful tension, it remains straightforward and accomplished, with a lovely length on the fruit and spices. Guaranteed to age well. 2030-2040

About the estate:

A grand cru founded in 1760 by frigate captain and privateer Jacques Kanon, who developed monoculture vineyards there, elevated to the rank of 1er grand cru classé B in 1954. The Fournier family, who settled here in 1919, sold the estate to the Chanel group in 1996. Nestled against the medieval town, the vineyard is ideally located to the south of the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion. Its subsoil conceals immense cellars dug over centuries to build Libourne and Bordeaux. Nicolas Audebert (who also runs Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, owned by the same owners) manages the vineyard: 34 hectares, including 12 from the Grand Cru Classé Matras, acquired in 2011, which now supplies the second wine, Croix Canon.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Canon 2022 has proven to be brilliant in the bottle. In the glass, it reveals aromas of sweet raspberries, wild berries, and cherries mingled with notes of violet, pencil shavings, black truffle, and rose petals. It is full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a dense and enveloping fruit core, supported by a structure of soft and smooth tannins, and ends with a long, salty finish. It is one of Canon's most muscular and ample vintages in recent years, while retaining its limestone identity. As I wrote two years ago, this estate is producing its finest series of vintages since the superb post-war series that preceded the frosts of 1956, and the 2022 is indeed reminiscent of a modern version of one of those great years. 2030-2065

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

250 years ago, a privateer with a passion for the land had Château Canon built. Twenty-five years ago, two brothers with an eye for beauty bought the property. The Wertheimers (Chanel), after acquiring Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, turned their attention to the right bank two years later, taking over Canon in 1996, then its neighbor, Château Berliquet, in 2017. Through restructuring, and under the direction of Nicolas Audebert, Cabernet Franc became more prominent, eventually making up 30% of the vineyard and the blend. The perfect homogeneity of the vineyard on the asteriated limestone of the plateau offers refined consistency in the labyrinth of quarries that run underground along the vineyards. Regardless of the vintage, Canon breaks the mold: hot years do not tarnish its superb quality, as the limestone acts as a water reserve. The wine's slender, highly distinctive character has built its reputation.

Vinous

About wine:

Canon 2022 is a majestic wine, offering absolute sophistication and class—aromatic and highly expressive, it unfolds with grace. Crushed flowers, chalk, mint, dried herbs, incense, and blood orange fill the palate. Clear saline notes prolong the mid-palate and finish with ease. Despite the heat and dryness of the year, Canon retains its essential and particularly refined personality. 2030-2072

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Ripe black cherry, graphite, crushed stone, and a magnificent floral character define Château Canon 2022, another brilliantly pure and flawless wine crafted by this team. Composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, it was aged in 50% new French oak, with a small percentage of foudre. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, it is concentrated and precise, with ripe, polished tannins, integrated acidity, and a magnificent finish. The elegance and purity are striking, and it offers that rare blend of power and elegance. This Saint-Émilion is sensational and should evolve gracefully for three decades. In my opinion, this is the best Canon ever produced, surpassing the 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 vintages. 2025-2055

Yves Beck

About wine:

Depth, definition, and subtlety set the stage. The wine is serene, almost masterful, delicate, and confident. The palate has to be on its best behavior, but it brilliantly assimilates the bouquet's prowess. Dense, velvety, elegant, and vigorous, the wine can boast of its quiet strength, civilized energy, and contemporary crispness! An exceptional wine that does not need to shine with its power, as its keen sense of detail takes on a responsibility that is not only respectable but commendable! Greatness cannot be measured, it must be experienced! 2028-2057

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is elegant, racy, and deep, with lovely intensity and great spicy delicacy. There are notes of boysenberry, wild strawberry and, more discreetly, elegant roasted red berries, combined with hints of blue plum, blond tobacco, star anise, and subtle hints of spice, racy and almost infused aromas, which bring a certain depth. The wine is beautifully textured and velvety. The palate is elegant, racy, delicate, airy, refined, and smooth. It displays richness, density, and depth, yet remains light. Notes of creamy blackberry, creamy blackcurrant, and ripe strawberry are combined with hints of bright blue berries and subtle hints of elegant roasted fruit. The wine also offers beautiful and delicate nuances of blueberry, tobacco, toast, and subtle hints of caramel. Delicate hints of crushed red fruit bring elegant roundness and subtlety, offering a spherical and delicate side. A beautiful salinity and a hint of iodine on the finish, with remarkable persistence. The finish is sapid and mellow, with floral notes of lily, violet, and a hint of green cardamom.

The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About wine:

Aromatically, the wine stands out for its floral bouquet combined with notes of mint, crushed stone, red fruit, licorice, spices, and wild cherries. On the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced, with elegance, finesse, silkiness, freshness, charm, sensuality, and a tannic structure that will allow it to age and evolve with ease for 4 to 5 decades. From start to finish, the fruit displays remarkable purity, with a hint of salt on the finish. There are no harsh edges. The finish is harmonious. This wine is truly beautiful! Drink between 2029 and 2065.