| Region of Production: | Saint-Émilion AOP |
| Winery Location: | Saint-Émilion |
| Year Established: | 18th century |
| Classification: | Premier Grand Cru Classé B |
Vineyard Holdings
34 ha
- 70% Merlot
- 30% Cabernet Franc
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château Canon, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Grand vin. 72% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc (2015 vintage). Fermented in stainless steel. Aged for 18 months in 50% new oak barrels.
- Croix Canon, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru: Second wine. Vinified from a separate hillside parcel surrounding the Mazerat chapel. Aged 18 months in barrel, a small portion new. Referred to as Clos Canon before 2012.
Average Total Production
- 100,000 bottles
Summary
Château Canon likely takes its name Jacques Canon, a privateer – essentially a pirate – who owned the property from 1760 to 1770. The estate was subsequently held by the Fontémoing family for a near century and was officially renamed Château Canon in 1853. Canon changed hands several times over the subsequent decades before reaching the Fournier family in 1919, who further cemented Canon’s reputation in the hierarchy of Right Bank wines. It remained in that family’s possession until 1996, when Canon was purchased by the Wertheimer family, owners of Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux as well as the controlling stake in the fashion house Chanel. The Wertheimers appointed John Kolasa to oversee the estate, a role he also held at Rauzan-Ségla. The new ownership invested a great deal into necessary updates at Château Canon over the course of the last two decades. The vineyard was largely replanted, and the historic but frail limestone quarries and cave system that ran beneath the property were repaired. Nicolas Audebert gradually replaced Kolasa beginning in 2014, and Thomas Duclos consults.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Of Château Canon’s 34 hectares, 24 are classified as premier grand cru classé B and are used to cultivate the grand vin. A separate parcel surrounding the Mazerat chapel and young vines from throughout the property are used for the second wine, Croix Canon. Canon is often described as a powerful, ripe expression of Saint-Émilion. The wine ferments in two dozen stainless steel vats, separated by parcel. Malolactic fermentation occurs in both tank and barrel, 50% new, before 18 months of élevage.
Producer Website: Château Canon