Château Canon 2020

The Wine Independent

VertdeVin

On the nose it is well built, in finesse and offers a certain delicacy, a racy power (in finesse), depth as well as a nice finesse of the texture, a multi-layer side, a certain subtlety, and a fine flurry side. It reveals the notes of blackcurrant, wild blackberry, small note of small fruits associated with hints of raspberry, pulpy redcurrant, a fine touch of bright violet plum as well as hints of violet, cherry flower, exotic spices, fine hints of pepper, lilac and a subtle hint of clover. On the palate, it is fruity elegant, delicate, nicely built, all in finesse and offers a subtlety, a nice acidulous frame, racy texture (limestone), a certain richness controlled, a sense of detail, a small pulpy of the fruit and a nice texture of limestone. The wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy, juicy raspberry, small notes of blackcurrant associated with touches of small red fruits as well as hints of crunchy berries, fresh lily, iris, a subtle hint of tonka bean, a very discreet hint of toasted, mocha and a subtle hint of coffee. Good length. The tannins are precise, elegant and well built.

Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

A stunning textural experience with its silky, velvet drenched profiled. Aromatically, you find flowers, black, red and blue fruits, licorice, and crushed rocks in the perfume. On the palate, the wine is all about its polished silk profile, which is the perfect backdrop for all of its layers of sensuous fruits, freshness and purity, finishing with a touch of salt on the backend. The seamless finish delivers length going on for over 50 seconds. Drink from 2025-2060.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The brilliant 2020 Canon looks set to surpass both the 2019 and 2016 as this estate's finest wine since the post-war period, though like many of the best 2020s, it will require more patience than its 2019 counterpart. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with notions of exotic spices and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with vibrant acids and beautifully polished, chalky tannins. Pure and precise, it concludes with a long, mouthwatering finish. This beautifully constructed wine communicates the essence of this superb limestone terroir, and it will be worth a special effort to track down and cellar.

In the last few years, this sleeping giant has well and truly reawakened, and the 2020 vintage represents the finest Canon produced since the early 1960s. Extensive replanting between 1996 and 2003, overseen by Audebert's predecessor, John Kolasa, saw some 50% of the estate's 22 hectares replaced. The fact that these vines are now arriving at full maturity surely goes some way to accounting for Canon's contemporary renaissance. Now, the team is working on restructuring the rest, combining massal selections and clones. Viticulture is thoughtful, with cover crops across the estate, and the terroir itself is relatively homogeneous: solid limestone covered by some 0.25 to 0.7 meters of clay, with a more or less uniform exposition on Saint-Émilion's plateau. There's also one small parcel in the town itself and another by Berliquet. Today, the vineyard is planted with about 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, and there are no plans to radically alter that. Winemaking privileges finesse over power, though a certain richness and texture can be taken for granted with a site like this, and maturation is in 50% new oak (mostly from Taransaud, Demptos, Sylvain and Quintessence). Today, the focus is on increasing precision and refinement, rather than revolution. And well it might be, for why change a winning team?

James Suckling

Black cherries, fresh herbs, lemon rind, and violets on the nose. Crushed stone, too. Medium to full body with super fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It goes on for minutes. A great wine. Try after 2027, but already thoroughly gorgeous. A classical Canon.