"Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and--WOW--it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!"
- Wine Advocate, November 2018
"This wine is impressive both from its structure and its fruit, one of the stars of the vintage in Saint-Émilion. It has great weight, concentration as well as style and aging potential. The ripe fruit shines through the structure, promising an elegant maturity. Drink from 2025. *Editors’ Choice*"
- Wine Enthusiast, May 2019
"Be sure to carafe or wait for the second day upon opening this wine, as it seems in a somewhat closed phase, but there is no denying its greatness: tasted with some other wines for this article, it stood out for racy tannin, subtle palate depth and superior length. Although somewhat taut on day one, with a higher tone of acidity dominating, its charms become more evident the next day, yielding distinct cedar, tobacco leaf, spring flower, brambly fruit and wet stone with a savoury, umami aspect. The long, floral fresh finish goes on for a minute."
- Decanter, April 2022
"Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it"
- James Suckling, February 2019
