2010 - Canon, Saint-Emilion

The 2010 Canon is deep garnet in color. Still a bit closed on the nose, it needs a lot of swirling to unlock notions of fruitcake, stewed black cherries, and dried mulberries leading to hints of charcoal, truffle, crushed rocks, and aniseed. The full-bodied palate is a behemoth of rich, dense, black fruit preserves flavors, supported by firm, rounded tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and ever so spicy. It needs time!

High alcohol but this takes it in its stride. A tiny trace of heat offset by delicious juice running underneath, and plenty of spiced plum and blackberry fruits, edges of pomegranate and slate. Good quality, a great Canon if with a touch less precision than you will find in recent years - but these are wines that stand the test of time, and that will offer endless opportunities for joy.

The 2010 Château Canon is interesting to revisit today, especially considering the vintages that have come after it, some of which will take their place among the greatest ever made here. Somber in breeding, the 2010 shows more darkness and ripeness than the wines of today, with a stronger oak imprint, all of which serve to blur some of the definition that is such a Canon signature. From time to time, some of the finesse of Canon emerges, as do some characteristic Cabernet Franc inflections, yet the 2010 feels a bit imprisoned by the style of the era in which it was made. The bouquet and overall profile suggest that the 2010 has arrived at an early plateau of maturity. I imagine it will develop for many years to come, but I also don’t see meaningful improvement in the cards.

Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Inviting floral note as well as bright dried-cherry fruit. Beautifully silky and fresh on the palate. Great finesse, elegance and balance. Juicy even with all this fine tannin. (JH)