Château Canon

The château

Canon was a famous name long before anyone classified Saint-Émilion. William Franck, whose Traité sur les vins du Médoc first appeared in 1824, printed it second among the Saint-Émilion wines of the first marque in 1853, under Mme Tranchère, at 30 to 35 tonneaux (the old Bordeaux measure of a crop, 900 liters, or 4 barrels). To Charles Cocks and Édouard Féret, whose Bordeaux et ses vins was the reference book of the Bordeaux trade, it was in 1868 the celebrated growth Canon-Saint-Émilion, of very ancient reputation, southwest of the old city behind the old church of Saint-Martin, lately passed from M. Ovyn-Tranchère to the Comte de Bonneval; in 1874 they added that it was the only growth in the commune entitled to the name of Canon. The owners changed, Domecq-Cazeaux by 1886, Félix Guignard by 1897, André Fournier by 1922, and so did the size: in 1922 it had 20 hectares of vines on the plateau of the very first growths and made 90 tonneaux.

The classification of 1955 made Canon a first growth, and it has stayed one: the list approved in September 2022 confirms it as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B, 1 of 14 Premiers Grands Crus Classés. The Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel, bought it in 1996; they also own Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux. Nicolas Audebert is managing director. In 2017 Canon took in Château Berliquet, which is run on its own as a Grand Cru Classé.

The 34 hectares stand on the astéries limestone, a rock porous enough to drink the rain and give it back slowly, run through with thousands of clay cracks that hold water. The planting is 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc, at 6,500 to 7,200 vines a hectare. Every row is plowed by horse, the cellar works without mechanical pumps and the cap is wetted by hand, and the estate is certified organic from the 2024 vintage. Château Canon ages 18 months in barrels, half of them new. Croix Canon, the second wine, comes off 11 hectares and has its own vat house and cellar in a 12th century chapel.

At a glance

Appellation

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Commune

Saint-Émilion, on the limestone plateau above the town

Classification

Premier Grand Cru Classé B, 2022; a first growth since 1955; Michelin Guide, 2 grapes (2026)

Owner

The Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel, since 1996

Direction

Nicolas Audebert, managing director

Vineyard

34 hectares; 6,500 to 7,200 vines a hectare

Soil

Astéries limestone run through with clay cracks Terroir of Saint-Émilion →

Grapes

Merlot 62%, Cabernet Franc 38%

Farming

Plowed by horse; certified organic from the 2024 vintage

Cellar

No mechanical pumps; cap wetted by hand; 18 months in barrel, 50% new

Wines

Château Canon; Croix Canon, from 11 hectares

In history

Second among the Saint-Émilion wines of the first marque in 1853, at 30 to 35 tonneaux; 90 tonneaux in 1922