The 2008 Canon is an utterly classic example of the vintage that is likely to go down in history as one of the estate’s finest efforts from the first decade of the twenty-first century. As the recent feature on this...
The 2008 Canon is an utterly classic example of the vintage that is likely to go down in history as one of the estate’s finest efforts from the first decade of the twenty-first century. As the recent feature on this château attests, I am a great, great admirer of the very traditional style that continues to hold sway at Canon, and the 2008 is one of finest examples of the vintage that I tasted in preparation for this report. The bouquet is deep, pure and beautifully reserved, as it offers up a complex mélange of red and black cherries, espresso, tobacco leaf, herb tones, a beautiful base of soil and a deft framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and balance, fine grip and exceptional length on the ripely tannic and impeccable finish. The 2008 Château Canon will need a good dozen years in the cellar to fully blossom and should prove to be one of the longest-lived ‘08s from the Right Bank. Old school claret at its best!