Canon 2012

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.

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.

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

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.