2024 Château Canon, St-Emilion

The 2024 Canon was picked from September 19 to October 9, a harvest that I witnessed firsthand while joining the pickers on one afternoon. It aged in 49% new oak and 6% casks for between 16 and 18 months. The bouquet is well defined with pure black cherry, raspberry and a subtle marine influence that develops in the glass, though I find the Troplong Mondot tasted alongside has more amplitude. The palate is medium-bodied and pliant with fine tannins and finesse. One bottle at the château had more weight on the finish than others that feel attenuated and missing a bit of substance.

The 2024 Canon is superb. One of the standouts of the vintage, the 2024 possesses striking mid-palate depth to match its vertical personality. Chalk, white pepper, mint, lavender, rose petal, slate and blue/purplish fruit all stain the palate. There's gorgeous depth and density here, and yet the 2024 remains a super-classic wine from the property. This is a real stunner. That's all there is to it. Tasted four times.

This is a gorgeous Canon, with the austerity of limestone on full display, as you would expect in this vintage, but a creamy edge comes in through the mid palate. Clear precision, flesh pared from flesh, peony, peach pit, cherry stone, damson, blueberry, graphite, crayon, pumice, lemongrass, gunsmoke, this has tons of layers and waves of complexity, classical and balanced. 44hl/ha yield, organic certified. 3.35 pH. 49% new oak. Harvest 19 September to 9 October.

The 2024 Canon is shaping up brilliantly, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, blackberries and raspberries mingled with notions of rose petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with tangy acids (the pH is a very low 3.35) and ultrarefined tannins, it concludes with a long, mineral finish. A blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, it's the estate's first year of organic certification.