2023 Chateau Canon - St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *Another excellent wine from the team at Canon benefitting from its position on the limestone plateau. Deep florals, violets, black fruits, some purple fruits too with cocoa powder and cool fresh blueberries. Smooth and so refined, this has a comfort in the mouth that few others have - a certain weight that defies the vintage - almost fleshy but more thick juice rather than lean, with a sweet core as well as biting acidity that provides a great contrast. This is a serious wine, it has structure and movement, supple tannins, so fine with a touch of chalk, strawberry, cranberry and red cherry fruit with liquorice spice on the finish. Assured winemaking, ripe fruit, great acidity and body, ending clean and pure with wet stones and graphite touches. Just delicious, a wine that tastes great now and feels like it’ll always be that way. Expansive in the best way. Ageing 16-18 months in 50% new oak as well as foudre. 3.42pH.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine, attraktive Edelholznote, dunkle Kirschfrucht, zart nach Brombeeren, ein Hauch von Nugat, kandierte Orangenzesten. Saftig, komplex, elegant und harmonisch, zart nach Nelken, reife, runde Tannine, extraktsüßer Abgang, ausgewogen und anhaftend, ein finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter mit sicherem Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 98/100 pts: *Eine Nase zum Eintauchen, tief, nobel, von dunkler Frucht geprägt, ergänzt mit floralen Noten, Eukalyptus, kalkige Mineralik. Messerscharf am Gaumen, ungemein druckvoll, dabei hochelegant, viel Spannung, Konzentration, perfektes Tannin, wunderbar lang im Abgang. Einmal mehr ein grosser Kanon, für eine kleine Ewigkeit gebaut.*

WeinWisser – 19+/20 pts – GL, TW: *70 % Merlot, 30 % Cabernet Franc, 45 hl/ha. Erhabenes sehr delikates rotbeeriges Bouquet, Sandelholz und rote Johannisbeere. Im zweiten Ansatz Blutorangenzesten, edler Kreideton und mineralische Körnchen. Am unglaublich dicht verwobenen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, engmaschigem Tanninkorsett, vibrierender Rasse, edlem mineralischem Kern und perfekt modelliertem Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden kaskadenartigen Finale Schattenmorellen, Graphit, heller Tabak und erhabene Adstringenz. Dies wird (wie schon im vergangenen Jahr) einer der gesuchten Weine in dieser Kampagne sein.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17+/20pts – JL: *71% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Crimson hue. Energy and complexity on the nose. Supple, layered fruit on the palate. Fine tannins with some persistence. Elegant and true to its limestone-plateau origin.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – AG: *A wine of classicism and reserve, the 2023 Canon is less overtly expressive than most recent vintages, keeping much of its personality in reserve. Nevertheless, I watched it grow considerably over the two weeks I spent in Bordeaux. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint and spice are some of the many notes that open in the glass. It is a wine that marries generous fruit with classical rigor. I won't be surprised if it shows even better with time. Tasted four times.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – NM: *The 2023 Canon was picked from around 6 September to 6 October at 45hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a perfumed bouquet with pure black cherries and touches of cassis and violet. The oak is beautifully integrated. Perhaps if I have to quibble, it is not quite as complex as the very best recent vintages, but that's a high bar nowadays. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black cherry fruit laced with iodine, and veins of blue fruit. There is a sorbet-like freshness embroidered throughout this Canon, and it delivers a lovely cracked black pepper note on the finish. Excellent. Again.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (97-99) pts – JL: *Violets, roses, and lilacs kick off the floral display. You also find cherries, plums, black raspberries, cigar box, and spice, with a touch of licorice. There is a balance between the vivacity, and sweetness, a strong sense of crushed rocks, and stones, depth, and intensity. The finish is racy, in all the best ways, which is the perfect backdrop for the wine's layers of salt-tinged fruits that linger. The best part of the wine is that the fruit expresses a beautiful sense of purity, with no hard . edges. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV. 3.41. Harvesting took place September 6 - October 4. The length of the harvest is one of the key points to the vintage, as the estate was able to stop, start, and wait for phenolic ripeness. Drink from 2030- 2060.* - 05/2024