Ch. Canon

[bills]

Notes on a Ch. Canon tasting held by the Commanderie de Bordeaux at Vancouver.

This property, while well considered in the past (Premier Grand Cru Classe B St. Emilion) declined before the sale to Chanel in 1996. Interestingly, it is one of the few properties that added land (a defunct Chateau adjacent) to the property allowed t be call ‘Canon’

We started with 1996 Veuve Clicquot, which was actually quite nice, bright, clean and pleasant.

With quail consommé with a quail egg in crepe:

2000 – a sweet nose with some ripeness to it, on the herbaceous side, the tannins significant on palate but nor hard, medium body, medium length.

1998 – a sweeter band aid nose, leaner wine with higher acidity and tannin evident, but it had just enough ripe fruit to carry it off. Drink now.

With wild mushroom ravioli with brown butter and hazelnuts:

1990 – nose of oak and decent fruit, closer to the 1998 than the 2000. The balance was inferior to the 1998 with too much acidity and a slightly astringent finish. It must have taken a real effort to screw up and not make a nicer, riper wine in this vintage.

1989 – very good nose with vanilla, currant and spice, a weighty wine in the mouth and excellent fruit and good length, the tannins soft but no rush to drink. Very nice, and the clear best so far.

With roasted breast of squab, glazed huckleberries and quince puree:

1988 – pleasant mineral and mushroom nose, with a hint of earthiness and a slight medicinal element, nice weight, the tannins now in balance, quite good.

1986 – a stand out with a sweeter nose than the 1988 showed, with some cedar and better fruit. Quite a bit of tannin, but under control, and a long slightly astringent finish – in this case a virtue, not a fault.

With a lovely thick Alberta chunk of prime beef with sauce Perigourdine and braised celeriac:

1983 – still showing surprising tannins, a sweetish nose, smooth, pleasant but not outstanding.

1982 – another jackpot – sweet complex nose with cherry, and vanilla, good concentration, weight and nicely balanced acidity, nor rush at all. In fact this wine may well outlive the 2000.

1953 – tasted blind this was a puzzler – obvious Bordeaux, good colour browning at the edges, a nose that had a little funkiness and rubber that blew off leaving pure fruit and vanilla, very little tannin, slightly tart finish, and not quite the length I’d have liked, but a great showing at the age of 54!

With cheese:

1997 Rieussec – light in colour, pineapple nose without very much botrytis, sweet in the mouth, fair balance, pretty good length. I’d have preferred it with a dash less RS or a dash more acid, but a pretty good showing.