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Description
Tasting notes

Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2019 Canon has turned out brilliantly in bottle, wafting from the glass with complex aromas of raspberries and red plums mingled with notions of raw cocoa, dark chocolate, pencil shavings and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional, it's one of the most refined, elegant right bank wines of the vintage, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. This is a superb achievement for Nicolas Audebert and his team.

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Canon is creamy and layered. A wine of immense charm and sensuality, the 2019 is immediately appealing today, but also clearly has the potential to age for many decades. The 2019 is not as exuberant as most recent vintages, and yet its balance is simply magnificent. Readers can expect an aristocratic Saint-Émilion that is holding so much in reserve. Patience is key. Tasted three times.

Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 Canon has a very pure and airy bouquet with pressed rose petal and iris flower scents infusing the red fruit. Nicely integrated oak, though it becomes a bit chocolaty with time. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled and pliant tannins, harmonious, gentle grip but it doesn't quite kick on towards the finish and leaves you wanting a bit more. I've had better bottles at the property, although it remains an outstanding Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 Canon has a fine, detailed nose of blackberry, raspberry, scorched earth and just a touch of crushed stone. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, poised and focused, yet serious. This is a Canon with breeding, but it is more of a long-term prospect compared to the 2018. A second sample at the château showed a bit more depth on the saline finish, and based on that example, I think this will become an outstanding Saint-Émilion.
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.