Chateau Canon 2018
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
2018 is vibrant from the first nose thanks to its brilliant fruit. An aromatic explosion that mingles aromas of cherries with delicious notes of marzipan. Minty notes of cedar and rose provide a burst of freshness. Carried by this ethereal balance, the wine then reveals its depth and density. It is full-blooded and full-bodied, yet always elegant. The palate is broad, the tannins refined and silky. It possesses the delectable tangy sweetness of a Bakewell tart. This 2018 shows all the power and grace of a prima ballerina, lost in her art.
Blend: 72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Canon is blended of 72% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc, with a pH of 3.69 and 14% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it comes sashaying out of the glass with glamorous notes of cinnamon stick, baked blackberries, black cherry compote and licorice plus an undercurrent of plum preserves and smoked meats and, with coaxing, reveals a lovely floral signature of candied violets and red roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully soft-spoken, whispering of fragrant floral and earthy scents beneath a core of profound, mouth-coating black and blue fruits, draped in a high level of super ripe, plush tannins, finishing with amazing freshness and perfume with loads of mineral sparks emerging.
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
James Suckling
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.
-
Decanter
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. Drinking Window 2026 - 2048
-
Jeb Dunnuck
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.
-
Wine Enthusiast
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.
Barrel Sample: 95-97 -
Wine Spectator
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.
Other Vintages
2022-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James - Vinous
- Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Parker
Robert - Vinous
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine
- Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb - Vinous
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.