2021 Chateau Canon

Other Reviews....
A brilliant wine in the making, the 2021 Canon offers up aromas of cherries, wild berries, licorice, sweet soil tones, raw cocoa, Indian spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's immensely refined and seamless, with a lively spine of acidity, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating, intensely saline finish. This beautifully balanced Canon is one of the classiest, most complete wines of the Right Bank in this vintage. Tasted four times.
94-96 points
William Kelley - Wine Advocate (Apr 2022)

Dramatic, rich and imposing, the 2021 Canon is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Sculpted red purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, sage and crushed rocks all race out of the glass. A heady, vertical wine, Canon is endowed with tremendous concentration and class. The aromatics alone are beguiling, but it is the wine's balance that impresses most. Tasted three times. This is such an elegant and regal wine. Drink 2031-2061.
95-97 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2021 Canon was picked September 16 to October 6 and matured in 50% new oak for a planned 16–18 months. Around 70% of the vineyard produced the normal yield, which underwent a 50% deselection, yet it still yielded 40hL/ha because the vines did not suffer stress. After mildew, any bunches that showed damage on the stems were removed. Nicolas Audebert told me that there was no concentration or saignée, just a little chaptalization (around 0.5–1.0%, depending on the tank). This has quite a concentrated bouquet of opulent dark cherries, blueberry, violet and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied and pliant, with gentle grip, saturated tannins and a judicious touch of spice toward the compact finish. While recent top-flight vintages may well eclipse this Canon, it still stands as a fine addition to the recent roster. Drink 2030-2060.
92-94 points
Neal Martin - Vinous

A wine full of finesse and class with fantastic length and polish. Medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that run endlessly down the length of the wine. Blackberry, graphite and spice. Agile and weightless.
96-97 points
James Suckling

From a château you can't go wrong with, the 2021 Château Canon is another head-turning, elegant, seamless wine that comes from unquestionably one of the greatest terroirs on the upper plateau of Saint-Emilion. Based on 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that hit 13.55% alcohol, it will spend 18 months in 50% new barrels. It shows the vintage's fresher, elegant style beautifully, with lots of perfumed red fruits, spice, flowers, and chalky notes. These carry to a medium-bodied, seamless, elegant Saint-Emilion that has supple tannins, a notable sense of freshness (although I suspect the pH is solid), and a great finish.
93-95 points
Jeb Dunnuck

The nose stands out with its nuances of flowers, crushed stones, spearmint, cigar wrapper, red plums, fresh cherries, herbs, and a touch of fennel. The wine is all about its freshness, purity, energy and elegant nature, finishing with silky tannins with their trademark touch of salt, mint leaf, and sweet, vibrant red berries. The wine blends 71% Merlot with 29% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 16 - October 6. Drink from 2026-2055.
94-96 points
Jeff Leve - The Wine Cellar Insider

Dark chocolate, perfume, violets, wild flowers and bramble berries on the nose, so much going on aromatically. Lovely succulence straight away, the bright acidity giving a mouthwatering effect and really delivering in terms of vibrant and lively fruit forwardness but with these lovely edges of graphite, slate, bitter chocolate, cream and salinity. So elegant and so refined as well as super stylish. I also love the cooling menthol Cabernet aspects you get all the way through and on the long finish. This has real class, but also an effortless quality to it that is so remarkable. One of the most memorable wines of the vintage! 3.37pH. Both Canon, Rauzan-Segla and Berliquet are excellent achievements this year. Drinking Window 2026 - 2045.
96 points
Georgina Hindle - Decanter