Canon 2009

A little paler than some. Lightish cherry red. Glossy, gamey, almost animal nose. Rich and sweet but with a certain dryness on the finish. There is some real life here. Very glamorous. Sumptuous and flattering, very polished, racy and sinewy and like a racehorse. Good enterprising energetic stuff! Date tasted 30th March 2010. Drink 2017-2030.

This is a creamy, lush hedonist's wine, with suave, textured layers of fig sauce, pureed plum and cassis woven with hints of mocha and pain d'épices. Picks up grip though, joined by a roasted mesquite hint on the finish for added length. Best from 2014 through 2025.-J.M.

Although the nose is fleshy and rich there is freshness behind that lifts the flavours. On the palate black fruits, bramble vie with redcurrant and raspberry for dominance, the sweetness of the bramble coming through on the back palate. Drink 2020-2040.

Brilliant this year - so satisfying and refined. Has to be the best Canon for a number of years. Certainly no block-buster but pure and silky with length and line. Exquisite. Drink 2016-2040.

Cool and fresh for the vintage, yet clearly ripe and rich. Very finely balanced, Classy. Really fine and the essence of genuine St Emilion. An intensely serious wine. Superb. Winner of the flight from the group.

A fleshy and generous St.-Emilion with a great interplay of fresh and super-ripe plum aromas. Behind this is quite a major tannin structure and plenty of chalky minerality that carries the bold finish beautifully. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

Tasted at the château and the UGC, the Canon '09 is a blend of 75% Merlot (picked 23rd to 28th September) and 25% Cabernet Franc (picked 2nd until 5th October) cropped at 35hl/ha and matured in 60% new oak, the crop reduced by 20% due to the hail. Delivering 14.5% alcohol and a pH3.7. The nose is fresh and lively, well defined with blackberry, briary, cedar, a touch of vanilla and an almost sorbet-like freshness. The palate is full-bodied with fine tannins, a powerful Canon, very well defined, a slight chalkiness coming towards the finish, a sharpness that lends freshness and vitality. A more masculine, structured Canon than I was expecting, but it will soften by the time of bottling. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

This is the best Canon since 1982, and it is possibly capable of eclipsing that legendary vintage. It has taken a while for the proprietors, the Wertheimer brothers (the owners of Chanel and the Margaux estate Rauzan-Segla) to get Canon back to its former glory. Yields in 2009 were 35 hectoliters per hectare, and the harvest occurred between September 28 and October 5. The blend is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, with a natural alcohol level of 14%. Dense ruby/purple and full-bodied, with terrific blueberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with spring flower garden scents, with extraordinary density, purity, and a multi-layered texture, this is a prodigious Canon with sweet tannins and lots of viscosity. It should drink well for 30 or more years. Bravo! (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2040.

What a gorgeous nose, with sweet and delicate fruits such as sliced plums that turn to milk chocolate and flowers. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. You want to drink this right away. 75 percent Merlot and 25 percent Cabernet Franc.