Château Canon 2017

Château Canon is a property that has experienced a meteoric rise in quality.  The most recent vintage, the 2020, has been ranked as having 100 point potential. The demand is off the charts for this wine, and many critics consider the grand vin from Château Canon to be the Right Bank wine of the vintage.  Since this estate was acquired by the Wertheimer family who made their fortunes as the owners of the famous luxury goods manufacturer, Chanel, the wine from this Saint-Émilion Premiere Grand Crus Classés Class B property has never been better. Of all the producers on the Right Bank, Château Canon is definitely one of the ones to watch.

Château Canon has a very interesting history indeed. The estate was initially a part of the Clos St. Martin vineyard in the 1700s.  Just 60 years later the estate was acquired by Jacques Kanon, a pirate who made his fortune plundering the high seas.  Jaques Kanon expanded the vineyard and ordered construction of the original château to be completed in 1767.  The property was then sold to Raymond Fontemoing, a Bordeaux négociant after being owned by Jaques Kanon for a decade.  The Fontemoing family owned a property in Fronsac named Château Canon, and they named the estate Château Canon in an effort to expand their brand presence. The estate changed hands multiple times until it was acquired by the Wertheimer family.  The Wertheimer family is no stranger to the wine industry, and it is an empirical fact that they have the magic touch. After acquiring Château Berliquet in Saint-Émilion, they turned that property into a rising star. The Wertheimer family are also owners of the esteemed Second Growth Château, Rauzan Ségla, a property now considered to have, "Super Second," status.  After acquiring Château Canon,  they were willing to spare no expense in renovating the property, and they had their work cut out for them.

The vineyards were disease-ridden, and the limestone quarries and tunnels were very much on the brink of collapse.  In 2012 the estate had a very extensive renovation which was finished in 2015. The team hired Nicolas Audebert of Cheval des Andes to oversee operations and he made the intelligent hiring decision to bring on Thomas Duclos as a consultant. Since then, the 34-hectare property has had a dramatic rise in quality. The limestone terroir is planted with a mixture of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Château Canon has excellent neighbors, with views of esteemed estates like Château Quintus and Château Angelus. The majority of the vines are 30 years old, though there are some vines that date to the end of the 1930s. 

The wine of Château Canon is vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. It is then aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Château Canon is a formidable expression of Right Bank terroir. For those who love the mineral-laced wines of Saint-Émilion and their ripe flavors of dark berries – Château Canon is a very worthy purchase. Yet with all that in mind, the wine demands time to age and reveal its subtle intricacies.  For those who are willing to wait, they will be rewarded with a truly stunning wine.

About 25 years ago, French fashion house CHANEL entered into the world of fine wine. It purchased the largely underperforming Margaux Second Growth estate Château Rauzan-Ségla. Two years later they acquired the Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, Château Canon. Through consistent investment in the land and the oversight and management by the same winemaking team led by the talended Nicolas Audebert, they have since turned these properties into two of the most in-demand wines in Bordeaux today. They have further acquired Château Berliquet in Saint-Emilion, and turned that property into a rising star.  Subscribers to our Wine of the Month program would know, as we have featured Château Berliquet 2010 in our April 2021 selection.

"Nicolas Audebert and his team have done it again. The 2017 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Rich and vertical in construction, the 2017 possesses off-the-charts richness and intensity in all of its dimensions. In the glass, the 2017 is sumptuous and layered, with superb detail and tons of sheer pedigree. In 20 years, readers will have a fabulous time tasting the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 together and debating their respective merits. Dark plum fruit, striking Franc aromatics and the clean, focused energy of Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau make for a ravishing, exquisite wine of the highest level. In a word: breathtaking." - Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (March 2020), Rating: 97 Drink: 2027-2057

"Showing spectacularly, the 2017 Chateau Canon checks in as a final blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc that’s from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation. Hitting 14% alcohol (the pH is 3.66), it reveals a ruby/purple hue as well as gorgeously sweet raspberries and cassis-like fruit interwoven with notes of spring flowers, rose petal, white chocolate, and spice. While it doesn’t have the massive opulence of the 2015 and 2016, it’s more classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and it will evolve gracefully for 30-40 years. Hats off to Nicolas Audebert as well as the team of Thomas Duclos for one of the wines of the vintage!" - Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 97, Drink: 2025-2060

"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Canon bursts from the glass with expressive notions of baked black cherries, kirsch, plum preserves and black raspberries plus hints of red roses, Ceylon tea, black olives and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant and refined, with a soft, finely grained texture and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. The blend is 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc and it was aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (03/16/2020), Ratings: 96+ Drink: 2021-2045

''Cabernet Franc dominant, with raspberry leaf, blueberries, wild strawberry, rosemary and sage, with touch of rhubarb and salted caramel at the close of play. This has a real sense of energy, it is light of touch, deft and enjoyable. No need to wait to drink this although no hurry also. 56% new oak. No frost here on the St Emilion plateau compared to many in the appellation, so less issues with ripening, although there was still rain in September, giving a lighter framed vintage compared to the ones on either side. 42hl/h yield, 56% new oak, harvest September 4 to 27. 3.66ph.''Jane Anson, Best Pomerol 2020 Wines Tasted En Primeur (4/07/2021) Ratings: 95 Drink: 2022-2040