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Canon 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

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Label

Tasting Notes

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon is a little reticent to begin, opening out to notions of rare beef, cast iron pan, cigar boxes and cloves with a core of baked plums and mulberries plus a waft of dried lavender. Full, richly fruited and sill quite youthful, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and mineral laced. 2021-2050

97+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2019), March 2019

John Kolasa mentioned that in 2009 he increased the percentage of Cabernet Franc up to 25% and that his intention is to dial it up to 35% in several years. The 2009 was matured in 60% new oak. This is more reticent on the nose, very classic in style but beautifully defined with just the right amount of reserve and austerity. The palate is fresh and very elegant, with disarmingly svelte, silky tannins. Good depth, not powerful but succulent and mineral-rich on the structured finish. Excellent - but it will need several years in bottle and is perhaps more 2010 in style than its peers. Tasted December 2012.

96
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2013

Aromas of nuts, spices, chocolate powder, then changes to fruits and flowers. Fascinating. Full body, with silky tannins and a wonderful intensity and super polished tannins with a long, long finish. Super refined. Best Canon in years. Try in 2016.

96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2012

The finest Canon since the 1982, the 2009 (75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc) reveals a dense blue/purple color along with a classic nose of chalk dust, blueberries, black raspberries, black currants and a touch of wood smoke. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and loaded with an inner framework of minerality and moderately high tannins, this backward, but stylish, concentrated Canon will benefit from 7-8 years of cellaring and last for three decades.

94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

A little paler than some. Lightish cherry red. Glossy, gamey, almost animal nose. Rich and sweet but with a certain dryness on the finish. There is some real life here. Very glamorous. Sumptuous and flattering, very polished, racy and sinewy and like a racehorse. Good enterprising energetic stuff! Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2017-2030.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

This is a creamy, lush hedonist's wine, with suave, textured layers of fig sauce, pureed plum and cassis woven with hints of mocha and pain d'épices. Picks up grip though, joined by a roasted mesquite hint on the finish for added length. Best from 2014 through 2025.-J.M.

93
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator Insider (Vol 8, 3), January 2012

Brilliant this year - so satisfying and refined. Has to be the best Canon for a number of years. Certainly no block-buster but pure and silky with length and line. Exquisite. Drink 2016-2040.

18.5
James Lawther MW, Decanter.com, April 2010

Cool and fresh for the vintage, yet clearly ripe and rich. Very finely balanced, Classy. Really fine and the essence of genuine St Emilion. An intensely serious wine. Superb. Winner of the flight from the group.

18.5
Stephen Browett, Southwold Bordeaux Tasting, February 2013

A fleshy and generous St.-Emilion with a great interplay of fresh and super-ripe plum aromas. Behind this is quite a major tannin structure and plenty of chalky minerality that carries the bold finish beautifully. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

95
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, March 2019
Read more tasting notes...

Tasted at the château and the UGC, the Canon '09 is a blend of 75% Merlot (picked 23rd to 28th September) and 25% Cabernet Franc (picked 2nd until 5th October) cropped at 35hl/ha and matured in 60% new oak, the crop reduced by 20% due to the hail. Delivering 14.5% alcohol and a pH3.7. The nose is fresh and lively, well defined with blackberry, briary, cedar, a touch of vanilla and an almost sorbet-like freshness. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, a powerful Canon, very well defined, a slight chalkiness coming towards the finish, a sharpness that lends freshness and vitality. A more masculine, structured Canon than I was expecting, but it will soften by the time of bottling. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

92/94+
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010

This is the best Canon since 1982, and it is possibly capable of eclipsing that legendary vintage. It has taken a while for the proprietors, the Wertheimer brothers (the owners of Chanel and the Margaux estate Rauzan-Segla) to get Canon back to its former glory. Yields in 2009 were 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between September 28 and October 5. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, with a natural alcohol level of 14%. Dense ruby/purple and full-bodied, with terrific blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with spring flower garden scents, with extraordinary density, purity, and a multi-layered texture, this is a prodigious Canon with sweet tannins and lots of viscosity. It should drink well for 30 or more years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2040.

93/95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

What a gorgeous nose, with sweet and delicate fruits such as sliced plums that turn to milk chocolate and flowers. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. You want to drink this right away. 75 percent Merlot and 25 percent Cabernet Franc.

95/98
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.