Wine Advisor
Canon 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The finest Canon since the 1982, the 2009 (75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense blue/purple color along with a classic nose of chalk dust, blueberries, black raspberries, black currants and a touch of wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and loaded with an inner framework of minerality and moderately high tannins, this backward, but stylish, concentrated Canon will benefit from 7-8 years of cellaring and last for three decades.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the chateau and the UGC, the Canon ’09 is a blend of 75% Merlot (picked 23rd to 28th September) and 25% Cabernet Franc (picked 2nd until 5th October) cropped at 35hl/ha and matured in 60% new oak, the crop reduced by 20% due to the hail. Delivering 14.5% alcohol and a pH3.7. The nose is fresh and lively, well defined with blackberry, briary, cedar, a touch of vanilla and an almost sorbet-like freshness. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, a powerful Canon, very well defined, a slight chalkiness coming towards the finish, a sharpness that lends freshness and vitality. A more masculine, structured Canon than I was expecting, but it will soften by the time of bottling. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This is the best Canon since 1982, and it is possibly capable of eclipsing that legendary vintage. It has taken a while for the proprietors, the Wertheimer brothers (the owners of Chanel and the Margaux estate Rauzan-Segla) to get Canon back to its former glory. Yields in 2009 were 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between September 28 and October 5. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, with a natural alcohol level of 14%. Dense ruby/purple and full-bodied, with terrific blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with spring flower garden scents, with extraordinary density, purity, and a multi-layered texture, this is a prodigious Canon with sweet tannins and lots of viscosity. It should drink well for 30 or more years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.)
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Château Canon vertical, the 2009 Canon is turning into the great wine it was predestined to become. A blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc (the same as 2010 incidentally), the nose is clearly more flattering, more opulent than the 2010 with an explosion of blackberry, melted tar, kirsch and dried violet petals; here, the Merlot is more expressive than the Cabernet Franc. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a voluminous Saint Emilion with an accentuated savory element that fans out towards the long and persistent finish. It's here that the Cabernet Franc takes over and delivers that long, long finish. This is a Canon that reminds me of Cheval Blanc...it's that good. Tasted October 2015.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London, the Canon 2009 is more introspective and masculine on the nose compared to its peers: dark fruit with scents of cold limestone. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm backbone, real edginess here with a citric seam of acidity, elegant but linear towards the finish. Tightly-coiled in the mouth, this will need several years to blossom. Tasted October 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
John Kolasa mentioned that in 2009 he increased the percentage of Cabernet Franc up to 25% and that his intention is to dial it up to 35% in several years. The 2009 was matured in 60% new oak. This is more reticent on the nose, very classic in style but beautifully defined with just the right amount of reserve and austerity. The palate is fresh and very elegant, with disarmingly svelte, silky tannins. Good depth, not powerful but succulent and mineral-rich on the structured finish. Excellent – but it will need several years in bottle and is perhaps more 2010 in style than its peers. Tasted December 2012.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. Two bottles were tasted in different flights, the first seeming to be just a little more monotonous than I would have liked, however the second was far more attractive. It has a beautiful nose with lifted blackcurrant and bilberry fruit laced with minerals and cedar. The oak is quite noticeable but in synch with the fruit. The palate is silky and smooth on the entry. It is fleshy in the mouth, but belying the firm structure underneath. Perhaps it would benefit from more tension towards the finish but that is a minor quibble. Charming as ever. Tasted January 2013.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon is a little reticent to begin, opening out to notions of rare beef, cast iron pan, cigar boxes and cloves with a core of baked plums and mulberries plus a waft of dried lavender. Full, richly fruited and sill quite youthful, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and mineral laced.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Red-ruby color is less dark than most other '09 Saint-Emilions, which to me is not at all a bad thing. Refined, perfumed aromas of redcurrant, almond flower, incense and cinnamon. Enters the mouth light and fresh, displaying attractive red berry and mineral flavors nicely framed by sound acidity. This very well balanced wine seems almost too easy to drink now but has excellent focus and grip, and plenty of inner-mouth energy. No doubt it will develop more complexity and depth with bottle age. Almost Burgundian in style, this is a subtle wine of real substance and nuance, made in a less showy style that is not out to grab headlines. One of the most successful Canons in a long time.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2009 Canon has a loose-knit, quite sensual bouquet that does not have the same depth or mineralité as recent vintages like the 2015 and 2016. The warmth of the summer comes through here, a touch of garrigues. The palate is medium-bodied with soft tannin, a little more advanced than say, the Canon-la-Gaffelières with a spicy, black pepper and sage tinged finish. Enjoy this over the next decade, but is it a long term Canon? Tasted at BI Wines & Spirits' annual Ten Year On tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Ruby-red. Superripe, slightly roasted aromas of cherry, graphite, spices and herbs. Then thick, sweet and very ripe on the palate but a bit youthfully restrained. This full-bodied Canon could use a bit more lift but maintains very good focus. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins and excellent length.
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
