The Fournier family was owner of Canon at this point. They had just 18ha of vines at the time, with 14.5ha in production - today, Canon owns 34ha, although the grand vin is still from these vines at the heart of the limestone plateau. The exact blend was not recorded, but the vineyards were planted to 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, planted at 6,500 vines/ha. Harvest took place between 7 and 21 September. It's a gentle, beautiful wine, if a little subdued. Served from magnum, this is still relatively closed but with time in the glass it starts to unfurl and reveal delicate red cherry and raspberry notes, along with tobacco leaf. Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-canon-st-emilion-1er-grand-cru-classe-b-1989-28568#4X8vkfDf6pMpYZDm.99

Close to fully mature, the floral, tobacco, peppery boysenberry, smoke and earthy nose is a turn on. Medium/full bodied, with a bit of a green bite in the finish that also provides minty, black cherry notes, the wine is soft, with a hint of old-school rusticity on the palate. The wine is more savory than sweet, which makes sense with its slightly strict palate presence. Decanted about 1 hour in advance of tasting, this is probably not a long-term hold. This is a wine to like, but not to love. If you are holding on to any bottles, it is time to pop a cork. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=1989+Canon

Tasted at the Château Canon vertical, the 1989 Canon is a delightful Saint Emilion and this is the best bottle that I have encountered. It has a classic Saint Emilion bouquet with vestiges of red berry fruit mixed with soy, leather and a touch of ox-tail. It is fully mature but in many ways, more vigorous now than the 1982 Canon. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannin and a superb seam of acidity. Very harmonious in the mouth, it is clearly at its peak now after 26 years, quite savory with a pinch of cracked black pepper enlivening the almost Rhône-like finish. What a beautiful 1989 Saint Emilion, but as Robert Parker originally mentioned, it was probably the final great wine before matters went awry in the 1990s due to lack of investment and an infection in the winery. Tasted October 2015. - Neal Martin

Starts up slowly on the palate, then builds to lovely, sweet fruit flavors. Dark-ruby color. Dusty, smoky, gamy and berry aromas open to a full-bodied palate with loads of ripe fruit and chocolate and a long, sweet aftertaste. A beauty.--1989 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now through 2006. — JS