2011 Château Canon, St Emilion, Bordeaux

Bright full ruby. Floral blackberry, raspberry, licorice, lead pencil and a faint herbal note on the nose. Juicy, spicy and precise, offering good sweetness to its red and dark fruit flavors. Finishes fresh, focused and long, with very good grip and a white pepper nuance.

A young red with polish and poise. It sneaks up on you. Full body with plum, blackberry and light mineral and chalk undertones. Extremely fine tannins that build on your palate. The texture makes this wine outstanding.

Drink now

The 2011 Canon is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It is undoubtedly one of the stars of the vintage, certainly one of the strongest offerings from Saint Emilion. The nose is bright, animated and playful, with copious red cherries, fresh strawberry and dark plum aromas bursting from the glass. 

The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, backwards compared to more extrovert Saint Emilions such as La Mondotte - a tensile, poised Saint Emilion that is destined to last longer than its peers. Classic in style, endearing and mineral-driven, this is a superb wine from the estate. This is a supreme success courtesy of former winemaker John Kolasa.

Drink 2018 - 2035

Also brilliant, and actually not far off the 2005, the 2011 Canon is a nominal blend of mostly Merlot with 25-30% Cabernet Franc brought up in a mix of new and used French oak. Its youthful purple/plum color is followed by a sweet bouquet of red and black currants, kirsch, licorice, chalky minerality, and ample Asian inspired spices. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it’s still youthful but drinking well, and has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. It’s a terrific 2011!

Drink 2020 - 2040