Sparing No Expense

It’s no exaggeration to say that very few châteaux can hold a candle to the recent successes of St. Émilion’s Château Canon. And for those thinking that this is the estate’s first time in the limelight, it’s actually the second! In the ‘40s and ‘50s, Canon was one of the Right Bank’s premier names. That unprecedented success was difficult to sustain, however, and was followed by several decades of struggles to hold on to that glory. Fortunately, in 1996, the Wertheimer family (who own Chanel) purchased the château and have since restored it to the Bordeaux giant that it once was. 

For as extraordinary as Canon’s wines are today, you’d never guess how significant the estate’s rehabilitation was. Under the guidance of former director John Kolosa, an extensive phased replanting of the vineyards was the first and most critical step. Then came the winery itself, from equipment upgrades to major renovation of the collapsing caves. Realizing the great domaine’s past—and more importantly, its potentially even greater future—the Wertheimers spared no expense, knowing full well how worth it the results would be. 

In 2014, the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place, with the hiring of now-managing director Nicolas Audebert. The 2015 grand vin represents the beginning of a new golden age for Canon, ushered in with their first 100-point wine, which was quickly and auspiciously followed by their second for the 2020 vintage—and both are in today’s offer. It’s clear that this Right Bank estate likely has many more perfect scores in its future, possibly beginning with the 2022, which looks to be one of the most promising wines of the entire Bordeaux vintage.  

In short, if you’re not buying Canon right now, then you’re missing out; firstly, because the wines are incredible, and secondly because we’re fully expecting prices to increase significantly in short order. This makes today’s offer not just great values today, but tremendous values relative where these prices will be soon.