The 2020 Château Canon is an outstanding blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc from Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau, combining concentrated fruit with remarkable freshness and finesse. A Premier Grand Cru Classé, Canon occupies a privileged site close to the medieval village, where clay over limestone provides the foundation for its distinctive elegance and mineral character. The 2020 harvest ran from 4 to 23 September, with hand-picked fruit vinified separately by parcel before blending. Aged for 18 months in French oak, including 50% new barrels, this is a particularly accomplished expression of the estate’s precision and depth.
Expect raspberry, Morello cherry and ripe plum, layered with iris, rose petals, mint, cedar and subtle exotic spice. The palate combines generous fruit with finely polished, chalky tannins and a long, saline finish. William Kelley awarded the wine 100 Points for The Wine Advocate in April 2023, praising its purity, concentration and vivid expression of Canon’s limestone terroir. Antonio Galloni also awarded 100 Points for Vinous in February 2023, highlighting its finesse, aromatic complexity and persistent mineral character. These exceptional assessments underline a wine whose richness is carried by freshness, with the structure and balance for prolonged development.
