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Description
Tasting notes

Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 is the first vintage in a long time with a high percentage of Cabernet Franc: a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. The vines were de-leafed on one side in July and the second side in September to achieve ripeness. It was picked from 1 October until 10 October and sees 70% new oak. There is a subtle marine influence on the nose with touches of marmalade and seaweed infusing the red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This feels plush in the mouth with an attractive spicy, confit finish. This is a finely tuned, elegant Canon in the making. Nothing new there. Tasted April 2014.

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Only 56% of the production made it into the 2013 Canon, which is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a dark ruby hue along with crunchy, chalky minerality, berry and cherry fruit, medium body and a very charming but superficial style, no doubt due to the vintage conditions. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.

Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Canon has a light, crisp cedar and graphite tinged nose, perhaps Left Bank in style, muted at first but gently unfolding. It never lets go completely and you end up trying to eke out more by swirling your glass (to no avail!). The palate is well balanced with fleshy ripe fruit on the entry, structured but clipped and short on the finish, as if to say, "that's enough." It is a well made Canon, even if former winemaker John Kolasa oversaw many greater vintages of Château Canon during his tenure.

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
A bold, direct wine, the 2013 Canon hits the palate with a burst of red fruit, iron, smoke, wild flowers and crushed rocks. I very much like the sense of energy here, but there is more than enough fruit to flesh out the finish.

Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Bright ruby-red. Cabernet franc-dominated aromas of floral strawberry, spearmint and vanilla. Juicy and politely styled, showing an attractive balance of fruit and acidity. The finish is precise and persistent, but the red berry and floral flavors are kept under wraps by assertive, mounting tannins.
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.