Château Canon 2018

Ripe and focused, with a core of plum, black cherry and raspberry compote notes that are still a bit coiled up, though inlaid with a racy chalky spine and notes of black tea and tobacco that should all meld as it stretches out in the cellar. A restrained, refined, lengthy wine that drips with class. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2038.

A beautiful Canon that performs the 360-degree trick in your mouth of expanding up, down and out. Of course a little austere right now at this young age, but already walking the tightrope towards richness; the creaminess in the texture becomes clear after 20 minutes in the glass. This has salinity, purity, precision and grip, showing its distinct personality and its ability to draw juice and mouthwatering expression from the fruits.

Blackberries and tar with wet-earth and dark-bark aromas. Dark-chocolate and brownie notes, too. It’s full-bodied with creamy tannins and a round, caressing finish. Lovely focus and intensity, though dense and layered. Extremely creamy and polished. Really precise and bespoke. It already opens beautifully on the palate. Drink after 2025.

The 2018 Canon was picked starting on September 7 and finishing on October 9. Given a two-hour decant, it reveals a surprisingly precocious bouquet, more exuberant than I recall from barrel, offering predominantly black fruit, though the floral element is now amplified and masks the crushed limestone I observed previously (for how long?) The palate delivers multilayered black cherry and blueberry fruit, wrapped up in supple tannins and such a cashmere texture that it feels deceptively approachable when in truth, it has the substance and persistence to merit long-term aging. I wagered that it is the best Canon since the watershed 2015. Don’t expect me to alter that view.

Wow, that's what I am talking about! Flowers and loads of crushed rocks, with layers of sweet, perfectly ripe cherries and plums offering incredible purity. Elegant, silky and sexy, with a seamless finish that gracefully coats your palate with endless layers of sensuously textured ripe fruits and cashmere tannins. This is effortless to drink. This will give the triple-digit 2015 a run for its money when it matures. The wine blends 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, 14% ABV.

Dark ruby with purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Sweet cherry fruit aromas with a whisper of strawberry, notes of soft fig and liquorice, and lovely floral appeal. The mineral, saline palate displays great red berry fruit and liquorice. It is juicy, fruity, and ripe, with savoury, ripe tannins. The long finish echoes with cherry and nougat. Great ageing potential.

The Grand Vin is the 2018 Château Canon, which is based on 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc brought up in 52% new French oak. Its incredible bouquet delivers richness paired with amazing freshness and precision, offering loads of crème de cassis and darker berry fruits intermixed with classic Saint-Emilion chalky minerality, graphite, scorched earth, and spring flowers. Gorgeous on the palate as well, with medium- to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and again this wonderful sense of freshness paired with ample richness. It needs 4–5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. The 2009 and 2015 are still my favorite vintages of this wine, but this is up there with the best of them.

Purple with a ruby rim. What a delicacy, with a multi-layered bouquet of ripe morello cherries, licorice, dark chocolate truffles, and a hint of lemon thyme. On the sublime palate, a silky texture, cocoa-like tannins, finely grained extract, and a magical breed – all in perfect balance. In the aromatic finish, a fireworks display of blackcurrants, perfumed pipe tobacco, and noble astringency. Fully deserving of the higher score – bravo!

Kunz barrel sample 19: floral, dense, delicate, fresh, complex bouquet, strawberries, raspberries, mint, cedar, fine black pepper. A tightly interwoven, delicate, airy palate with precise fruit, an elegant, silky structure, varied, sweet aromatics, fine tannins, and a long, fresh, creamy finish. Has room to improve.

Floral, dense, fine, fresh, complex bouquet with strawberries, raspberries, mint, cedar, and a delicate touch of black pepper. A tightly knit, delicate, fragrant palate with precise fruit, an elegant, silky structure, diverse, sweet aromatics, fine tannins, and a long, fresh, creamy finish. Can still improve. 18/20 2026 - 2048

The fruit here is still crunchy and vibrant at three years old, blueberry, black cherry, smoked almonds and saffron. Clear density from beginning to end of the palate, with a rich full texture. Tannins are poised and confident, softening and adding to a creamy texture after 10 minutes in the glass. Bound to keep powering on for decades, needs another three or four years before starting to approach. 42 hl/ha, 52% new oak, pH 3.69, harvest September 7 to October 5. Thomas Duclos consults.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Canon erupts from the glass with powerful notes of plum preserves, stewed blueberries, and molten chocolate with nuances of licorice, Chinese five spice, and fertile loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is firm and chewy, with just enough freshness to match the muscular, savory layers, finishing a little firm at this stage.

A haute-couture benchmark, with cashmere draping perfectly over the wine’s long, deep framework, precisely elongated by a calcareous grain, with staggering purity.

Very much in the Canon style despite the wine’s power. Distinctly dense, with a finely balanced, fleshy texture.

A nose of great delicacy, light and airy, with aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry and peony. Hypnotic on the palate, you pause to savor and enjoy this ethereal, powerful, mouthwatering wine. As light yet dense as a kilo of feathers, with extraordinary freshness that evokes snow-capped mountain landscapes or even salty puddles by a cold ocean. The finish is perfectly textured, long and flavorful…

Finesse, delicacy, complexity and grandeur. This is the summary of Canon’s bouquet. I would add floral, fruity and spicy notes to complete the picture. On the palate, the wine shines through its ability to highlight its freshness and finesse, then its grandeur, thanks to tannins of rare precision. It does not try to seduce; it simply aims to convince, and it does so exceptionally. A truly great wine. Persistent finish.

95–97. Barrel Sample. This is an elegant, structured wine that is sculpted by rich fruit. Its bright acidity and great fruitiness are as important as the powerful structure. It obviously will age well and for many years.