Chateau Canon 2021

The 2021 Canon shows just how magical this site is. Vertical and explosive in feel, with tons of pure power, it impresses with its intensity, drive and super-classic profile. Bright saline notes and vibrant tannins give the 2021 a feeling of energy that only gains momentum with time in the glass. It's not an easy Canon, like the 2015 or 2018, but it is incredibly expressive. It is the sort of wine that only truly emerges with time in bottle. I would be thrilled to own it. Canon must surely be one of the great relative values in first-class wine. Wow. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni

Lots of crunchy red cherries and blue plums followed by violets, fresh sage and Christmas spices with baking spice and coconuts. Medium- to full-bodied with superb fine-grained racy tannins and beautifully refreshing acidity that gives an edge to it. Gorgeous finesse and elegance with harmony and precision. Delightful, too. Already drinkable but give this a few more years to come around. Try after 2026 and it should be beautiful for a long time.

Red and black fruits mingle with the firm structure of this dense wine. The tannins are solid while the ripe berry flavors show well against the wine's richness. Barrel Sample: 95-97

Gorgeous fragrance, pretty and pure. Juicy and clean, this has such a lovely energy and focus to it – lifted, bright but not searing, juicy but not too acidic, weighty but still streamlined and direct. I love the fine tannins, still with some tension, and a soft, sality liquorice outline. Feels elegant and finessed, polished and stylish with lift and movement.

The 2021 Canon opens in the glass with a pure bouquet of raspberries, cherries and plums mingled with pretty top notes of iris, licorice, mint and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's fleshy and sensual, with a deep and seamless core of fruit framed by ultra-refined tannins, a bright spine of acidity and a long, mineral finish. With an impressively low finished pH of 3.37, it was taken out of barrel a month earlier than usual and saw no fining—as has been the case since 2010.

A much more elegant, finesse-driven wine compared to Berliquet (which comes from the same team and a neighboring vineyard), the 2021 Château Canon reveals a ruby/plum hue as well as beautiful aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, scorched earth, graphite, and sappy flowers. It's nicely concentrated, has ripe, polished tannins, and flawless overall balance, all while playing in the more mid-weight, elegant, focused style of the vintage. It will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age but drink nicely through 2041. The blend is 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that saw one-third of the blend seeing malolactic fermentation in barrel and the élevage spanning 16-18 months in 50% new French oak. It hit 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.37. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions, always rating it between 93-95.

Fresh and open in feel, with loganberry and blackberry notes laced with mulling spice, black tea and savory hints. Concludes with a potpourri echo. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035.