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Canon 2012

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Canon

Label

Tasting Notes

Tasted from several bottles in recent months, the 2012 Canon is a stupendous wine for the vintage and if anything, it appears to be improving with each encounter. It clearly serves up more than enough volume and fruit intensity on the nose compared to the impressive 2011 Canon: it is very pure with black cherries, wild strawberry, asphalt and blood orange. This is very well defined and beautifully focused. The palate is medium-bodied, silky smooth and with that thrilling sense of frisson. There is so much vivacity wound up inside this Saint Emilion that it would not surprise me if it turns out to be one of the very best in 2012. Drink 2020-2045.

94
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (Interim En), March 2017

The 2012 is the first truly profound Canon under the administration of the Wertheimers, the family that owns the famous haute couture house of Chanel. Improvement has been noticeable for a number of years, but this wine is remarkable, particularly in view of a more challenging vintage. The color is a healthy dark ruby/purple, and the wine offers up great minerality along with floral, black-fruited characteristics. What’s not a surprise are the nobility, elegance and finesse of this wine (70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc) married with serious richness and intensity. Give it another 5-6 years and drink it over the following 20-25 years. Drink 2020-2045.

92+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (218), April 2015

A red with blueberry, blackberry and walnut character. Chocolate too. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. This is tight and dense. Extremely polished tannins and a long finish. Another 2001. Better in 2018

93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2015

Majoring on saffron and tobacco leaf aromatics, this has a delicate delivery of minerality and power, a tightrope balance of soft leather, strawberry and rasberry, with layers of mandarin peel and white pepper spice. Lace-like delicacy to the tannins, enjoyable and ready to drink. 80% new oak, 35hl/h yield, 3.66ph. Harvest October 3 to 15. John Kolasa was director of both Canon and Rauzan Ségla for this vintage.

92
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, March 2022

Tasted blind. Blackish crimson. Big and rich – aiming for sweetness and drama. Lots of effort has gone into polishing the corners but there’s a slightly ersatz oak note. Lots of alcohol. The first wine that almost recalled the old exaggerated pastiche era. Some palates will love it. Drink 2020 - 2032.

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2016

There has been huge investment here recently in the vineyard (75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc) and chai by owners Chanel. This is a great property that made fabulous wines in the past but dipped in form during the 1990's. It is now right back up there under the management of John Kolasa of Rauzan Segla (formerly of Château Latour). An increasingly rare example of a traditional Saint Emilion from a great terroir - situated at the heart of the plateau - that is being made to be enjoyed with food rather than score points at blind tastings. Always a wine of elegance and class that holds its head up proudly in comparison to some of the more manufactured "modern" efforts in Saint Emilion. There is chocolate and ripe red cherry fruit on the nose with a hint of violets. The palate has attractive notes of toast, wood smoke and brioche. The fruit is sweet, sexy, rich and plush with a gorgeously supple texture. Focused intensity and un-forced concentration of ripe, fleshy Merlot. Power and freshness combine to produce a wine with fine balance and length. Pure, smooth and impressive.

94
Farr Vintners, March 2013

The nose has a fragrant charm with the freshness of red fruits and the start of the palate is light and fresh. The mid palate has a greater depth of flavour ripe cassis and strawberry a complex mix of flavours with the fruit lingering on the long finish. 2017-26

88/91
Derek Smedley MW, May 2013
Read more tasting notes...

A dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of black raspberries, blueberries, crushed rocks and spring flowers. This medium to full-bodied, well-endowed, authoritative Canon reveals some serious tannin in the finish, so 4-5 years of cellaring will be needed after bottling. It should last 15-20 years.

Owned by the Wertheimers (also the proprietors of the enormously successful haut-couture house of Chanel), this is a pure, stylish, nicely textured, impressive effort from a superb terroir on the limestone plateau of St.-Emilion. The final blend was 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, and yields were a modest 35 hectoliters per hectare.

91/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (206), April 2013

Tasted at a négociant tasting, the Canon '12 has a perfumed, mineral-rich bouquet with vibrant red berry fruit that blossom in the glass. As usual, it is understated and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, a silver thread of acidity and a rather masculine, structured finish that comes at somewhat of a surprise. This is a cerebral Canon that will repay cellaring. Excellent. Tasted April 2013.

94/96
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, May 2013

A very silky and elegant wine that finishes beautifully. Full-to-medium body, with well integrated tannins and a refined and pretty finish. It goes on nicely with chocolate, walnuts, hazelnuts, and delicate fruit. Very savory. Lovely texture.

92/93
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2013
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.