Château Canon Saint-Émilion 2023 - 1er Grand Cru Classé B

Another excellent wine from the Canon team, which fully benefits from its location on the limestone plateau. Deep aromas of flowers, violets, black fruits, and hints of purple fruits, with a touch of cocoa and fresh blueberries. With great finesse and remarkable smoothness, it offers exceptional fullness on the palate—surprising for this vintage. Almost full-bodied, it is dense rather than heavy, with a sweet core and a crisp acidity that creates a striking contrast. This is a serious, structured, and expressive wine, with supple, refined tannins and a hint of chalk. It features aromas of strawberry, cranberry, and red cherry, and a finish with a hint of anise. Skillful winemaking, ripe fruit, lovely acidity, and a beautiful structure combine for a clean, pure finish with notes of wet stone and graphite. Simply delicious—a wine that is excellent right now and promises to remain so. Remarkably full-bodied. Aged for 16 to 18 months in 50% new oak barrels and large casks. pH: 3.42. 2030–2050

A grand cru founded in 1760 by frigate captain and privateer Jacques Kanon, who developed the monoculture of grapevines there; it was 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 estate is ideally situated to the south of the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion. Beneath the surface lie vast cellars dug over the centuries to build Libourne and Bordeaux. Nicolas Audebert (who also manages Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, owned by the same proprietors) oversees the vineyard: 34 hectares, 12 of which come from the Grand Cru Classé Matras, acquired in 2011, which now supplies the second wine, Croix Canon.

Canon 2023 is a resounding success, revealing aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, rose petals, raspberry, and violet. Medium- to full-bodied, it is complex and finely textured, built around a deep and harmonious core of fruit, framed by powdery, velvety tannins. The long, crystalline finish features chalky notes. Fully expressing its terroir through its velvety tannins and mineral finish, it is also deeply representative of the vintage, combining vibrant acidity with a remarkably approachable profile. It is a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc, 50% of which was aged in new oak barrels. 2030–2053

250 years ago, a privateer with a passion for the land had Château Canon built. Twenty-five years ago, two brothers with a keen eye for aesthetics and a love of beauty purchased the estate. The Wertheimers (Chanel), after acquiring Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux, turned their attention to the Right Bank two years later, taking over Canon in 1996, followed by its neighbor, Château Berliquet, in 2017. Through a series of restructuring efforts, and under the direction of Nicolas Audebert, Cabernet Franc has become a more significant component, now accounting for 30% of the vineyard’s plantings and the final blend. The vineyard’s perfect uniformity on the asterian limestone of the plateau offers refined consistency, set within the labyrinth of quarries that run underground alongside the vines. Regardless of the vintage, Canon defies convention: hot years do not detract from its splendor, as the limestone acts as a water reservoir. The wine’s signature slender profile has built its reputation.

This wine could well be one of the most memorable of the vintage, with an almost magical freshness and delicacy. On the nose, aromas of violet, lavender, and blackberry display great purity and lovely liveliness. Medium-bodied, it combines elegance and presence, offering an endless finish. A benchmark wine. Its tannins and acidity delicately caress every millimeter of the palate. A blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc. Best enjoyed after 2030, but already a pure delight.

Precise, laser-sharp—Canon remains at the top of its game. A fruit full of vitality emerges. On the palate, it’s haute couture: a delicate, concentrated attack, then the body unfolds silkily, carried by ultra-refined tannins. It displays perfect mastery, built on a magnificent, graceful, luminous structure. The wine’s textural quality deserves special mention. The finish is extremely elegant, with an invigorating salinity.

Body, maturity, and precision create harmony! Chalky nuances blend with richness, while notes of black berries combine with hints of tea leaves, tobacco, and peppermint, rounded out by a touch of incense. On the palate, the wine stands out as much for its harmony as for its breadth. It even allows itself the luxury of being slender within a vigorous, even austere framework, ultimately showcasing its precision and vigor in equal measure. A wine whose fine-grained tannins provide the perfect foundation, combined with a sharp structure; together, they deliver finesse, character, elegance, and length. In short, it’s a Canon (had to do it at least once, right?). 2028–2058