Canon 2022 (750ML)

99 Points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com: “Fascinating dark aromas such as cherries and currants as well as Spanish cedar. Umami. Some dried flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, this has juicy and savory fruit such as intense berries with sandalwood and dried-mushroom undertones. Lots going on here. Very muscular for Canon but well-formed and beautiful. Minerally and salty at the end. 75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. Best after 2022/" 01/25

99 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2022 Canon is a regal wine of total sophistication and class—aromatic, light on its feet and super-expressive. Crushed flowers, chalk, mint, dried herbs, incense and blood orange all race across the palate. Clean saline-inflected notes extend the mid-palate and finish effortlessly. Even with all of the heat and drought of the year, Canon retains its essential, highly refined personality." 01/25

98 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2022 Canon has an exquisite bouquet that stops you in your tracks with heavenly blackberry, blueberry, violet and crushed limestone tones—articulating its terroir in consummate style. This has brilliant delineation and just soars from the glass. The medium-bodied palate features fine tannins, a very mineral-driven, almost symmetrical texture and a hint of black olive compote on the finish. It is an outstanding Saint-Émilion and certainly one of the best vintages produced at Canon." 01/25

100 Points, William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2022 Canon has turned out brilliantly in bottle. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet raspberries, wild berries and cherries mingled with hints of violets, pencil shavings, black truffle and rose petals, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a dense, enveloping core of fruit underpinned by a chassis of sweet, suave tannins, concluding with a long, saline finish. This is one of the most muscular, broad-shouldered vintages of Canon in recent years, but it retains every bit of its limestone-driven identity. As I wrote two years ago, this is an estate that is delivering its greatest run of vintages since the superb Post War series that preceded the frosts of 1956, and the 2022 is indeed reminiscent of a modern day version of one of those great years." 03/25

98 Points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter: “A superb Canon in 2022. Supple, shiny, oh so charming, gorgeously sleek and well textured like pure silk but with density to the tannins that grips and coats the mouth, plus you know there's such power and concentration underneath in the waves of liquorice, stones, blackcurrant fruit. Extremely polished and charming. Vibrant, energetic, tense, and straight. It's not plush, more direct, but this wine thrills. Seamless and effortless, bright and energetic but with such a calm control and confidence. A stunning wine more for what it doesn't say than what it does in 2022. A yield of 45hl/ha. pH 3.5. 18 months ageing with 50% new oak. Harvest 30 August - 22 September..” 03/23 

100 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: “Ripe black cherries, graphite, crushed stone, and a beautiful floral character all define the 2022 Château Canon, another brilliantly pure and seamless wine from this team. Based on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, it was raised in 50% new French oak, with a small percentage in foudre. Medium to full-bodied, it’s focused and precise on the palate, with ripe, polished tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. The elegance and purity here are truly striking, and it brings that rare mix of power and elegance. This sensational Saint-Émilion should evolve gracefully for three decades. In my view, it’s the finest Canon ever, surpassing the 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020." 02/25

98 Points, Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux: “The inky intensity of the colour might make you worry that the limestone signature will be swamped, but it is very much guiding proceedings on the palate here. Expect waves of red roses, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, salinity, but also real intensity, there is a depth and complexity that quite stunning as the wine expands through the palate, with creamy blue and black fruits, and a mouthwatering oyster shell finish. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, 50% new oak, with four larger-sized oak casks. A standout in the vintage, more proof of the exceptional level that Canon is playing at right now. 50% new oak.” 04/23

97-99+ Points, Lisa Perroti-Brown, The Wine Independent: “The 2022 Ducru-Beaucaillou is made from 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot with a yield of 29 hl/ha, and represents 25% of the year's production. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with graceful, energetic notes of crushed blackcurrants, redcurrant preserves, wild blueberries, and dark chocolate, followed by touches of violets, clove oil, cumin seed, and cast-iron pan. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a skyscraper, delivering very firm, super-ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to support the densely laden, vibrant black fruits, finishing very long with a spectacular display of mineral and floral fireworks. pH 3.80, TPI 95. The 2022 Canon is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc with a yield of 45 hl/ha, planned to be aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it requires a lot of patient swirling to release scents of fresh blackberries, raspberry preserves, and Morello cherries, giving way to emerging scents of rose oil, cumin seed, crushed rocks, and underbrush, plus a fragrant waft of candied violets. The medium to full-bodied palate is lively and tightly wound with firm, finely grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and perfumed. pH 3.50.” 04/23