Tasting note

The 2016 Canon offers red fruit on the nose, very detailed, along with scents of wilted rose petal, truffle and brown spices. I admire how understated this is initially, then stepping up through the gears with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins, gentle grip and a liberal sprinkling of cracked black pepper toward the finish. It maybe just lacks the persistence of its peers at the moment, but I suspect it is just beginning to close down for a period. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Score: 95+

Neal Martin, Vinous.com, August 2020

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!

Score: 98+

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Interim End of November 2018, The Wine Advocate, December 2018