Château Canon

Until the mid-19th century, the French, British and Americans practiced a type of naval warfare that involved chasing enemy ships and attacking them. To do this, sailors were hired who were not soldiers, and who, in time, came to be called corsairs, from the old expression “to run the seas” or “to run on a ship”. Some of these corsairs, like Jacques Kanon, had nothing to envy in the fame of pirates and they became rich and famous through their exploits. This allowed the privateer to acquire an extraordinary estate in Saint-Émilion in 1760 where, from a limestone plateau with slopes that slide down to the Dordogne river, some great vineyards were growing. Ten years later, he sold the property to a Bordeaux wine merchant, Raymond Fontemoing, and it was his great-granddaughter who changed the name from Kanon to Château Canon in 1853. The château, which enjoys the honour of belonging to the 1er Grand Cru Classé classification, is now owned by the Chanel group and, under the direction of the prestigious winemaker Nicolas Audebert, produces hedonistic wines that respect the essence of the place and are designed for pleasure.

With an impressive CV for his young age, after working for 10 years in Argentina and other prestigious French wineries like Krung, Audebert decided to put all his knowledge to use at Château Canon. Their wine of the same name is proof of this. Sourced from 24 hectares of vineyards facing south-southwest and on clay-limestone soils, the Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines are carefully tended, limiting yields to 40 hl/ha. Thanks to the clay soil, when it rains, water is retained and returned to the vines in times of drought. The grapes are harvested by hand, each variety separately and, once they reach the winery, they are fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures and malolactic fermentation in a combination of new barrels (1/3 of the wine) and stainless steel tanks. Finally, the wine ages for 18 months in new barrels (50% of the wine).

Considering that Château Canon, known as the two C’s winery, is one of the most highly rated estates in Saint-Émilion, its flagship wine undoubtedly enjoys the highest distinction in the area. A wine of great depth and elegance that, adapting to the 21st century, has not lost any of its history.