Wine Advisor
Canon 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A strong effort from Château Canon, the 2005 offers a saturated ruby/purple color followed by beautiful floral notes intermixed with black raspberry, black cherry, and some crushed rock. Medium to full-bodied, with extraordinary elegance and precision, this stunner is showing better now than it was early in its life. This wine is set for another three decades of longevity.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. Medium-deep garnet. Intense aromas of warm plums and blackberries plus pronounced spiciness - cinnamon, allspice and cardamom. Mocha. A faint (pleasant) whiff of VA. Medium to high acid, really nice concentration, medium+ level of fine tannins, long finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The nose is quite muted at first. Then with aeration and wonderful fresh, vigorous nose of brambly black fruits, hawthorn and creme de cassis emerges with superb delineation. The palate has firm tannins balanced with sprightly ripe black fruits (blackberry leaf) with admirable acidity and crispness on the finish. Very long length. Very sophisticated and one of the best Canon's in a long time. Tasted April 2006.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A lucid ruby hue. There is still a lot of vanillary new oak on the nose but it has incredible purity and focus: ripe blackberry, a touch of hedgerow and minerals but you can tell this is closing down. The palate is rich and compelling, full-bodied with a sensuous texture, a nubile young Saint Emilion. Pure red-berried fruits, a touch of orange-peel and a sorbet like sweetness on the finish that was so common in the best Burgundy 2005’s. A truly magnificent wine with immense potential. Drink 2015-2045. Tasted September 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is the finest Canon produced under the Chanel ownership and John Kolasa’s administration. A striking minerality interwoven with black currant and flower aromas jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, dense, freakishly elegant effort. Possessing beautiful structure, good acidity, yet remarkable intensity as well as precision, this deep purple-colored 2005 will undoubtedly close down after bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
With a saturated deep ruby color, but less intense than some other St.-Emilions, this is probably the best Canon in a number of years. It is still made in a relatively austere, tannic style, but strong black cherry and loamy soil notes intermixed with some licorice and background subtle oak lead to a rich, elegant, stylish effort that is closed and in need of cellaring. Give this wine, which clearly reveals the minerality of this top-notch vineyard, at least 7-8 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Château Canon 2005 has a more complex nose than the Clos Fourtet tasted alongside. It is tightly wound at first with black cherries and dried violet petals, terracotta tiles and brown spices. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and very well-judged acidity. This is very harmonious in the mouth, nicely structured with great precision and persistence. There is a sense of reserve here, but it has a compelling complexity that will surely be enhanced with bottle age. It’s wines like these that remind you why this has such as devoted following that includes yours truly among its number.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Southwold. One of the great 2005 Saint Emilion wines. It has a supremely well-defined nose with black cherries, boysenberry and plum on the nose - nicely integrated oak and a touch of cold steel. Ethereal purity. The palate is ripe plumy on the entry, wonderful balance and purity, succulent and showy on the finish but not overbearing with notes of blueberry, violets and plum. Good length and poise. Sensuous and velvety smooth. Diving. Drink 2010-2025+ Tasted January 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This is a beautiful Canon! Extraordinarily pure and refined on the nose with bright black cherries and redcurrant fruit, superb minerality and clarity that is life affirming. The palate is medium-bodied with a svelte entry, fine tannins and pure dark, almost broody fruit. This Canon remains in a closed, adolescent stage and will need several years in bottle. Tasted December 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Château Canon vertical, the 2005 Canon is evolving into a quite gorgeous Saint Emilion. One can still discern those brown spices infiltrating the ripe red and black fruit. There is fine mineralité here, great focus, perhaps just a hint of dried blood that develops with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, ripe tannin. It is a very complex Saint Emilion with immense purity and style, a wine that you have to keep coming back to in order to understand. It's at that pivotal stage between primary and secondary notes, the red and black fruit being overtaken by cedar, morels and a touch of game. It gently lifts and fans out to a quite captivating finish. Dare I say that the 2005 Canon is the pick of the three over 2009 and 2010? There...I've said it...it is a quite brilliant wine. Tasted October 2015.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Canon is all brawn and muscle. Chunky tannins give the 2005 a decidedly virile feel. There is plenty of depth and freshness - this is after all one of the very best sites in all of Bordeaux - so the 2005 will hold for many years to come. Dark fruit, leather, smoke, gravel, crushed rocks and spice linger on the potent finish. Tasting the 2005 today really highlights how far Canon has come in recent years
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2005 Canon is an absolute gem and, like many 2005s, is beginning to shed its tannins and become more approachable and terroir-driven. Red berry fruit, undergrowth, hints of singed leather and warm gravel manifest on the nose, plus just a touch of hot bricks in the background, and perhaps terra-cotta. The palate is not muscular but shows fine backbone. The tannins, having softened in the last couple of years, frame a mélange of red and black fruit intermixed with bay leaf and clove. Kudos to winemaker John Kolasa, who oversaw this vintage and was instrumental in the estate’s rejuvenation.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Full ruby-red. Sexy, high-toned nose shows a very sweet maraschino cherry quality. Then juicy and energetic, with a vinosity that almost comes as a shock following the nose. The subtle flavors of currant, graphite and minerals linger nicely.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Ruby-red. Enticing aromas of currant, graphite, cedar, currant leaf and mint. Supple, suave and classically dry, with a subtle, restrained sweetness and excellent breadth. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and hints of graphite and chocolate. This rather understated wine was tricky to taste sandwiched between the Troplong-Mondot and Pavie in a flight of premiers grands crus classes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good saturated red-ruby. Pure, vibrant aromas of blueberry, currant, licorice, violet, cedar and spice, lifted by toasty oak; I might have identified this as cabernet. Supple, silky and suave; ripe but not at all overly sweet. This has a reserve typical of Canon but also a rather plump and pliant texture. Slow-building, very subtle finish features broad tannins and a chocolatey ripeness.
About the Producer
Château Canon is a Premier Grand Cru Classé château in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux. It owns pockets of vineyards close to Saint-Émilion town, with a large core parcel right on the very edge. This parcel is almost completely walled in and is traditionally hand-harvested and ploughed by horses. It is planted entirely with Merlot. This is regularly used in the Château Canon grand vin, along with a smaller proportion of Cabernet Franc from the estate's various other vineyards. More than 60 percent of Canon's vineyards are planted to Merlot. Most of the rest is Cabernet Franc, although a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon survived the cull in the late '90s. The grapes are blended carefully to get the most from each: Merlot brings smoothness, finesse and intense fruit aromas; while Cabernet Franc brings structure and extra ability to age. The Château also makes the Croix Canon wine from an 11-hectare (27-acre) vineyard that borders the Canon estate. Buyers should be aware of the high number of wines from the Right Bank whose names include the word "Canon". This includes two distinct wines named Château Canon from Canon-Fronsac, one of which has a very similar label to this more famous wine.
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Package Size
12 x 75cl3 x 1.5L
