2016 Canon, St-Emilion

“The 2016 Canon makes it a double slam-dunk for head winemaker Nicolas Audebert and his team, as it is the second of two ethereal wines that will put the estate right at the top of the Saint Emilion tree. This year is a blend of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc picked from 22 September until 10 October at 45 hectoliters per hectare. It delivers 14.02% alcohol and an IPT of 65. Matured in 65% new oak, it has a compelling bouquet with intense black cherry and blueberry fruit, a tincture of oyster shell, all with exquisite definition. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, and again, there is stunning, almost ineffable precision. It is attired in a seamless texture with real density yet weightlessness on the finish. The persistence on the aftertaste is extraordinary. I composed this entire tasting note after spitting out the wine, but I can still feel my mouth tingling now. (NM)” (04/2017)

“The 2016 Canon is deep garnet-black in color. Wow - it rockets out of the glass with a powerful nose of blackberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and blueberry compote followed by fragrant wafts of rose oil, dark chocolate, licorice, and tar. Medium to full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, the palate delivers a firm grainy texture and jaw-dropping tension to counter the profound, muti-layered black fruits, finishing with great length and depth. (LPB)” (03/2024)

“The sheer iodine freshness and gorgeous fruit succulence go hand in glove with a tannic frame that has softened since I had tried this vintage shortly after bottling. Spring flower aromas combine with ripe red and black fruit. Château Canon reflects the high-toned freshness of the limestone plateau, but with subtle, cool mid-palate blue-fruit juiciness leading to a long finish. Elegant and balanced, a young vintage that is developing well. (PK)” (04/2025)

“The best for me since the 2010, just the perfect balance of ripeness, power, precision and finesse. This is more powerful on paper than the 2015 in terms of quantity of tannins but you feel them less because there are so many layers of flavour. Maple syrup, cocoa bean, cassis, black cherries, blueberries, violet and sage, with a saline kick on the finish. A wonderful example of what limestone can deliver. The texture is not silk, instead it has grip and grain, it holds you back and demands you stay around. Harvest September 22 to October 11. 45hl/hyield, 3.57ph, 65% new oak, harvest Setember 22 to October 11.” (07/2021)

“This wine is impressive both from its structure and its fruit, one of the stars of the vintage in Saint-Émilion. It has great weight, concentration as well as style and aging potential. The ripe fruit shines through the structure, promising an elegant maturity. Drink from 2025. *Editors’ Choice* (RV)” (05/2019)

“The 2016 Château Canon is composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc from the Saint-Émilion limestone plateau. This absolutely brilliant wine begins with striking aromas of red currants, cassis and dark cherries which are laced with exotic spices, licorice, violets and lovely underlying minerality. On the palate this boasts a medium-plus body with excellent depth, concentration and precision. It further impresses with its wonderful elegance and finesse leading up to the long lasting finish. Overall, this is an absolutely stunning wine which will have a sensational future ahead, but it will clearly need some time before it will begin to show its full potential. (JD)” (01/2019)

“Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it.” (02/2019)

“The 2016 Château Canon is another beautiful wine from this estate, made in a more streamlined, elegant style compared to the richer, sexier 2015. Checking in as a blend of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc all from a magical terroir situated on the upper plateau just outside of the village of Saint-Emilion, it saw a small percentage of the blend go through malolactic fermentation in barrel, and the wine spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used. Gorgeous notes of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, white truffle, and crushed rock nuances all come soaring from the glass and it has notable intensity as well as complexity. Medium to full-bodied, with vibrant acidity, ultra-fine tannins, and a straight, silky texture, I don’t think it matches the 2015 on concentration, but it’s perfectly balanced and has a texture to die for. It needs a good 4-5 years of bottle age (or more) and it’s going to be long-lived. Tasted three times.” (02/2019)

“This delivers a pretty serious ball of fruit, with a mix of raspberry, blueberry and black currant flavors providing range, while sweet tobacco notes and chalky minerality impart texture and detail. There's a fresh savory echo on the finish. Much less reliant on toast than most of its peers. (JM)” (03/2019)

“The 2016 Canon has a clean and fresh nose. The fruit profile is a mixture of red and black with just a hint of black truffle and licorice (the latter a trait that I had not picked up before). The palate is medium-bodied with finer tannins than the bottle four years ago, has a little more assertiveness and grip in situ, and is perhaps firmer and prepared for long-term maturation. It's precise on the finish. (NM)” (02/2024)

“Lifted and floral. Looser than some of its peers. But with alcohol on the end. Blueberry notes. Juicy and dense with a slightly hot but saline finish. 18/20 points (JR)” (01/2020)