Château Canon

Château Canon's origins lie in a small vineyard planted around the Church of Saint-Martin by Jean Biès in the early 18th century, then known as Clos Saint-Martin. In 1760, the estate was sold to Jacques Kanon, a frigate lieutenant and corsair who had served King Louis XV, and whose name almost certainly gave rise to the modern Château Canon. Kanon expanded the original 12-hectare walled clos by acquiring seven surrounding parcels and commissioned the construction of the château itself, completed in 1767, before selling to Raymond Fontémoing, a leading Libournais négociant, in 1770. The Fontémoing family retained the estate until 1857, and it was Fontémoing's great-granddaughter who officially renamed it Château Canon in 1853. After several changes of hand, Gabriel Supau purchased the estate in 1919 as a gift for his daughter and her husband André Fournier, whose family stewarded Canon with distinction for nearly eight decades. Vine disease in the early 1990s precipitated its sale to Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, owners of Chanel, in 1996, launching a transformative era of investment and renewal.

• Originally Clos Saint-Martin; sold in 1760 to privateer and royal naval officer Jacques Kanon, almost certainly the source of the modern name
• Renamed Château Canon officially in 1853 by Fontémoing descendants; estate passed through multiple families before the Fournier acquisition in 1919
• Wertheimer (Chanel) acquisition in 1996 triggered comprehensive replanting of disease-ridden vineyards and a major renovation of the limestone quarry cellars completed in 2015
• In 2011, Canon purchased neighbouring Château Matras (approximately 12.5 hectares), expanding the total estate to 34 hectares and forming the basis for the Croix Canon label

Château Canon sits atop Saint-Émilion's prestigious limestone plateau at 87 metres elevation, southwest of the medieval village. The 34-hectare vineyard is planted on clay-limestone soils underpinned by the soft, fossil-rich asteriated limestone that characterises the plateau's most coveted terroirs. Stone walls encircling the estate provide natural protection against spring frosts. The vineyard is planted at densities of 5,500 to 6,500 vines per hectare, with 24 hectares designated to the grand vin and 10 hectares allocated to Croix Canon. A sustained replanting programme since 1996 has addressed the vine disease inherited at acquisition; average vine age now approaches 30 years, with some old-vine parcels dating to the late 1930s. The estate achieved organic certification from the 2024 vintage following a multi-year conversion process.

• 34 hectares on the Saint-Émilion limestone plateau at 87 metres; clay-limestone soils with fossil-rich asteriated limestone subsoil; stone walls provide frost protection
• 24 hectares produce the grand vin; 10 hectares supply Croix Canon; vine density 5,500 to 6,500 vines per hectare
• Merlot and Cabernet Franc planted at 70/30; Cabernet Franc parcels sited in the best-exposed plots to achieve optimal maturity
• Organic certification achieved from the 2024 vintage following a multi-year conversion; sustainable viticulture practices in place throughout the Wertheimer era

The Wertheimer family's initial technical director, John Kolasa, oversaw the foundational replanting and winery reconstruction. In 2014, Nicolas Audebert, formerly of Cheval des Andes in Mendoza, was appointed managing director and brought in consultant Thomas Duclos to refine the winemaking approach. Under Audebert's direction, Canon employs plot-by-plot viticulture, hand harvesting with multiple sorting passes, and gravity-flow fermentation to handle grapes gently. The wine is aged 18 months in French oak barrels with 50% new cooperage. A major renovation of the chai and limestone cellar complex ran from 2012 to 2015, resulting in modern temperature-controlled barrel rooms integrated into the historic underground caves. Croix Canon is produced from the 11 hectares surrounding the restored 12th-century Chapelle de Mazerat, with the chapel itself now housing the second wine's vinification and ageing facilities.

• John Kolasa directed initial renovation; Nicolas Audebert appointed managing director in 2014 with consultant Thomas Duclos; Audebert also manages Château Rauzan-Ségla
• Hand harvesting with multiple sorting passes; gravity-flow fermentation room ensures gentle extraction and preserves aromatic integrity
• 18 months ageing in French oak, 50% new barrels; approximately 80,000 bottles produced annually across both labels
• Croix Canon label created in 2011 following Matras acquisition; produced from 11 hectares around the restored Chapelle de Mazerat; renamed from Clos Canon starting with the 2012 vintage

Canon delivers a refined, mineral-driven expression of the Saint-Émilion limestone plateau. In youth, the wine opens with vibrant red and dark fruit aromas, violet florality, and the chalky, saline minerality characteristic of the plateau terroir, underpinned by well-integrated oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied with silky tannins, bright acidity, and Merlot's natural generosity balanced by Cabernet Franc's structure and freshness. With ten or more years of bottle age, secondary complexity emerges: leather, tobacco, forest floor, and dried fruit notes develop as primary fruit integrates into a mineral-driven finish. The wine's acidity and structural balance ensure graceful evolution across at least two decades in well-stored bottles, with critics recommending a minimum of 10 to 15 years cellaring for top vintages.

• Youth: vibrant red and dark berry fruit, violet, chalky minerality, and subtle oak; medium to full body with silky tannins and bright acidity
• Cabernet Franc (30%) contributes structure, freshness, and mineral tension that distinguishes Canon from more lush, Merlot-heavy Pomerol neighbours
• Aging trajectory: primary fruit gradually replaced by leather, tobacco, and earthy secondary notes after 10 or more years
• Recommended drinking window: 10 to 30 or more years depending on vintage; 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 represent benchmark recent achievements

Canon's mineral-driven profile, refined tannins, and moderate to full body make it highly food-versatile. Classic pairings follow the canon of great Saint-Émilion: richly sauced beef, roasted lamb, duck confit, and game birds are natural partners, while the wine's earthy, mineral character also complements mushroom-forward dishes and truffle preparations. Aged hard cheeses such as Comté or aged Cantal are fine matches. Service temperature of around 16 to 17°C allows the wine's aromatics to open fully; younger vintages benefit from decanting for one to two hours to soften tannins and integrate oak. Older bottles require gentler handling and typically shorter decanting to preserve evolved aromatics.

• Classic pairings: roasted lamb with herbs, duck confit, beef with peppercorn sauce, game birds
• Earthy and mushroom-forward dishes: wild mushroom risotto, truffle preparations, braised beef with root vegetables
• Cheese pairings: aged Comté, Cantal vieux, or hard Pyrenean sheep's cheese
• Service: 16 to 17°C; decant young vintages 1 to 2 hours; older bottles need minimal handling to preserve delicate evolved aromas

Since Nicolas Audebert assumed management in 2014, Château Canon has attracted consistent acclaim from leading critics. Wine Advocate's William Kelley has described the estate as a reawakened sleeping giant, while Robert Parker identified it as a major star of the Right Bank. The 2015 vintage is widely regarded as the finest Canon ever produced and a contender for wine of the vintage on the Right Bank, with 2018, 2019, and 2020 considered nearly equal in quality. The Wertheimer family also owns Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux and Château Berliquet in Saint-Émilion, underscoring a broader Chanel commitment to Bordeaux quality. As a Premier Grand Cru Classé B, Canon is positioned below only the four Premiers Grands Crus Classés A in Saint-Émilion's hierarchy, and its growing critical profile has driven strong collector and auction market demand.

• William Kelley (Wine Advocate) describes Canon as a 'reawakened sleeping giant'; Robert Parker calls it a 'major star' of the Right Bank
• 2015 widely considered the finest vintage in Canon's history and a Right Bank wine-of-the-vintage contender; 2018, 2019, and 2020 also at the highest level
• Chanel's Bordeaux portfolio also includes Château Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) and Château Berliquet (Saint-Émilion)
• Premier Grand Cru Classé B status since 1955; 34-hectare estate producing approximately 80,000 bottles annually; strong auction demand and growing collector interest globally