99 The Wine Independent The 2016 Canon is deep garnet-black in color. Wow - it rockets out of the glass with a powerful nose of blackberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and blueberry compote followed by fragrant wafts of rose oil, dark chocolate, licorice, and tar. Medium to full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, the palate delivers a firm grainy texture and jaw-dropping tension to counter the profound, muti-layered black fruits, finishing with great length and depth. (LPB) Review Date: 03/2024 98 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and--WOW--it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo! (LPB) 98+ (11/2018) 98 points Wine Enthusiast This wine is impressive both from its structure and its fruit, one of the stars of the vintage in Saint-Émilion. It has great weight, concentration as well as style and aging potential. The ripe fruit shines through the structure, promising an elegant maturity. Drink from 2025. *Editors’ Choice* (RV) (5/2019) 97 points Decanter This has all the power that St-Emilion can deliver, but deals it out slowly with precision, gorgeous balance and a clean lift. It has great concentration, purity and depth, without sacrificing the integrity of the juicy blueberry and cassis fruits. It really is a great example of what the limestone plateau can do. The 2015 delivers a slightly more voluptuous edge to the fruits, whereas this vintage emphasises fresh mint leaf, salinity and grip. A wonderful wine, utterly delicious. (JA) (12/2018) 97 points James Suckling Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024. (2/2019) 97 points Vinous The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks. (NM) (2/2019) 96 points Jeb Dunnuck The 2016 Château Canon is another beautiful wine from this estate, made in a more streamlined, elegant style compared to the richer, sexier 2015. Checking in as a blend of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc all from a magical terroir situated on the upper plateau just outside of the village of Saint-Emilion, it saw a small percentage of the blend go through malolactic fermentation in barrel, and the wine spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used. Gorgeous notes of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, white truffle, and crushed rock nuances all come soaring from the glass and it has notable intensity as well as complexity. Medium to full-bodied, with vibrant acidity, ultra-fine tannins, and a straight, silky texture, I don’t think it matches the 2015 on concentration, but it’s perfectly balanced and has a texture to die for. It needs a good 4-5 years of bottle age (or more) and it’s going to be long-lived. Tasted three times. (2/2019)
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