One of my favorite vintages from this incredible terroir located on the upper plateau of Saint-Emilion, the 2009 Château Canon is just about pure perfection in a glass. It delivers a monster bouquet of blackberries, raspberries, white truffle, and flowery incense that develops beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, full-bodied, and powerful, it's still classic Saint-Emilon, offering incredible minerality as well as structure. This brilliant wine can be drunk any time over the coming two decades.

Beautiful restraint on the nose, really stands out for its discreet exuberance and juicy nuance. Charming, fresh figs, raspberry, black cherry, cranberry, cocoa bean, espresso, salted cracker and sea salt. Melted tannins, and fully getting into its stride. As with the last time I tasted this pair, the 2009 just edges out over the 2010, and for now the gap has widened slightly. Yield 35hl/h, 60% new oak, 3.75ph.

97+ Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Canon is a little reticent to begin, opening out to notions of rare beef, cast iron pan, cigar boxes and cloves with a core of baked plums and mulberries plus a waft of dried lavender. Full, richly fruited and sill quite youthful, the palate has a firm yet velvety texture and seamless freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and mineral laced. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A fleshy and generous St.-Emilion with a great interplay of fresh and super-ripe plum aromas. Behind this is quite a major tannin structure and plenty of chalky minerality that carries the bold finish beautifully. Drink or hold.

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. Two bottles were tasted in different flights, the first seeming to be just a little more monotonous than I would have liked, however the second was far more attractive. It has a beautiful nose with lifted blackcurrant and bilberry fruit laced with minerals and cedar. The oak is quite noticeable but in synch with the fruit. The palate is silky and smooth on the entry. It is fleshy in the mouth, but belying the firm structure underneath. Perhaps it would benefit from more tension towards the finish but that is a minor quibble. Charming as ever.

The director of Canon in 2009 was John Kolasa, a less deft touch perhaps than Nicolas Audebert today, but still making some great wines. This has ripe fruits and a generous attack. It's still very young but there are hints of a wine that's starting to evolve, with moments of tobacco and leather. The mouthwatering juiciness through the back half of the palate is really appetising, and although it's less precise than a Canon of today, you can certainly see all the building blocks here. It has a slightly savoury quality to the fruit, not displaying the excess of some St-Emilions in this vintage. A good quality wine, this is entering its drinking window but has plenty of time left.

The color is starting to show signs of maturity as is the nose, with its roasted smoky berries, truffle, wet earth and 5 spice notes. On the palate the wine is taking on a silky character, with more softness and flesh. The elegant, lifted red pit fruit and spice in the end note is starting to be in a good place. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2009+Canon

This is a creamy lush hedonist's wine with suave textured layers of fig sauce puréed plum and cassis woven with hints of mocha and pain d'épices. Picks up grip though joined by a roasted mesquite hint on the finish for added length. Best from 2014 through 2025. 4415 cases made. -JM

75% merlot and 25% cabernet franc matured in 60% new oak. Shy at first aromatic complexity and interest appear with aeration as scents of dark spice and black cherry contribute to the bouquet. The moderately weighted palate is balanced in shape along with blackberry flavors that are a touch ripe at the core. Soft dark spices lightly textured tannins and hints of fresh earth add complexity to the lengthy finish. A balanced elegant statement that should be drunk by 2030.