2019 Canon, St-Émilion

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Canon prances out with showy notes of wild blueberries, fresh boysenberries, and black raspberries giving way to fragrant scents of sassafras, cumin seed, star anise, and red roses. The full-bodied palate delivers waves of bright black and blue fruits with wonderful freshness and plush, rounded tannins, finishing long and energetic. (LPB)

Canon has been one of the greatest success stories in modern wine, but that success didn’t come easily. After being purchased by Chanel in 1996, the estate underwent two decades of renovation—from the vineyards to the winery—all guided by a long-term vision that few outside the wine world can truly appreciate. Their long, painstaking efforts began to bear fruit over the past decade, most notably with the epic 2015 vintage. But the not-so-well-kept secret is that they didn’t stop there, nor was 2015 a flash-in-the-pan success. Instead, they’ve continued to produce one remarkable wine after another—luxurious yet refined, always expressive of their incredible limestone terroir. Canon is a wine that can easily rival the world’s finest collectibles and has garnered a litany of 100-point scores, all of which make its still-reasonable price seem almost contradictory. I’d argue it’s the poster child for the modern generation of Bordeaux: had it been made ten years earlier with this level of accomplishment, the price would likely be double. Instead, it remains a wonder of a wine, still priced within reach. As for the 2019, I find it notably more structured than its peers in 2018, 2020, and 2022. That might come as a surprise given the generally generous nature of the 2019 vintage, but I think it speaks to the wine’s character and long-term potential—qualities that elevate it even among a lineup of outstanding wines from this year. As always, Canon delivers incredible refinement in 2019: concentrated but never heavy, with deep red fruits lining the palate, bright acidity, and a long, textured finish tinged with saline minerality. Though it’s tightly wound today, there’s already so much to enjoy at this early stage. A scintillating wine that hits all the marks—I cannot recommend the 2019 Canon enough.