Chateau Canon 2017, 1er Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion

The most expensive claret in the shop and worth every pound of it. Canon has been on a run for a decade and 2017 is drinking beautifully early. This wine is a masterpiece from one of the most prestigious châteaux in Saint-Émilion. The origins of the estate stretch back to 1760 when sailor-cum-privateer Jacques Kanon acquired a walled vineyard known at the time as Clos St Martin, from whom, it is conjectured, the chateau would derive its name. Fast forward to 1996 and the Wertheimer family, of Maison Chanel fame, bought the neglected estate, and thus began the property's modern renaissance. It took nearly a decade of investment in the soil, the vineyards, and the winemaking facilities to start to recapture the spirit of its storied past – and under the expert stewardship of Chateau Latour's erstwhile manager, John Kolasa, and subsequently Nicolas Audebert, Chateau Canon has since experienced a remarkable resurgence in quality and realisation of the potential its terroir contains.. The 2017 vintage was a challenging one, but Château Canon produced a wine of exceptional quality, with some critics saying "wine of the vintage" The wine is a blend of 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc, and it is aged in 56% new oak barrels. This gives the wine a rich and complex flavor profile, with notes of dark fruit, spice, and oak. On the nose, the wine is immediately captivating with its aromas of ripe black cherry, plum, and blackberry. There are also hints of spice, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as a touch of oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and velvety smooth, with tannins that are ripe and well-integrated. The flavors of dark fruit, spice, and oak are all present on the palate, and the wine has a long and lingering finish. The Château Canon 2017 vintage is a truly exceptional wine that is sure to impress even the most discerning wine lovers. It is a wine that can be enjoyed now, but it will also age beautifully for many years to come 25+ . "there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Emilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks." Neal Martin "All the grace and power that the plateau of St-Emilion can deliver, dealt out slowly and precisely, with juicy blueberry fruits, fresh mint and a mineral grip to the finish. A wine that has been transformed over the past decade by careful vineyard work and ever more precise attentions in the cellar" Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck "from one of the most exceptional terroirs in the appellation… classically styled as well flawlessly balanced, with a terrific sense of minerality, ultra-fine tannins, and a brilliant finish… one of the wines of the vintage!"