2020 Ch Canon 1er Cru Grand Classe, St Emilion

Wow. This is really exceptional with super density of fruit that remains clear and agile. Blackberries, currants, violets and spice, as well as some chalk and salt. It really goes on for minutes. Best of the trilogy?

98-99 points James Suckling jamessuckling.com

The 2020 Canon nailed it this year, the best since the benchmark 2015/2016 vintages. It has one of those bouquets that stops the clock thanks to its breathtaking delineation and focus, fragrant black cherries, bilberry, shucked oyster shell and crushed rock aromas. It is cool, calm and collected. The palate possesses exquisite definition, armed with simply crystalline red fruit matched with a perfect silver bead of acidity. There is tangible tension from the start and it fans out gloriously toward the pixelated finish. This brilliant Canon should offer 20–30 years of drinking pleasure, probably more. Chapeau!

96-98 points Neal Martin vinous.com

The 2020 Canon is a gorgeous, sophisticated wine. Silky and soaring, Canon is vertical in build, with a real sense of explosive energy that give the wine its shape. Rose petal, lavender, mint, spice and ripe red/purplish berry fruit all meld together effortlessly. The 2020 is an especially airy, understated Canon. I can't wait to see how it ages.

95-97 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com

The 2020 Canon is a blend of 68% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Franc, aging for 18 months in French oak, 50% new. It weighs in with 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.53. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with vivacious notes of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, wild blueberries and black raspberries, plus hints of powdered cinnamon, clove oil, star anise and dusty red soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in grace, delivering exquisitely ripe, finely pixilated tannins and bold freshness to support the tight-knit black, red and blue fruit layers, finishing long with loads of exotic spices and mineral sparks. An exhilarating triumph!

“To be honest, we didn’t manage anything. That terroir at Canon is insane,” said Technical Director Nicolas Audebert. “It is incredible how it is always the terroir that brings back that freshness. We harvested a little earlier this year. And during the heat, we tried to protect the berries, with techniques I was using in South America to protect the bunches. But in the end, it is the typicity of that limestone that comes through. It is the backbone of the wine. This terroir also comes in earlier—the grapes just motor through. If we had waited 10 more days, it would be completely different. The wine has no excess—this is very important for us. We are not being extreme one way or the other. We look for ripeness and freshness. With the limestone, the vine never stops. The roots take the freshness and can handle these extremes. It is worth remembering that Canon has a southwest exposure, giving that little bit of extra ripeness. Also, I need to mention our work effort. We worked right through August. You know, usually everyone in France takes their holidays in August. Now, our team takes their holidays in July. We cannot wait around in August. Picking date completely makes what you are.”

98-100 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com

This is intense, structured and concentrated yet with an abundance of violet and peony notes that curl up through the tannins, combining halfway through the palate with blueberry, raspberry, tobacco, gunsmoke and sculpted, precise pulses of chalk minerality. There is just so much to talk about with this wine, but the overall impression is of dozens of carefully crafted elements that steal up on you. It's hard not to be convinced by its success - and as ever with Canon you are in no doubt as to how well it will age. Gorgeous. 50% new barrels. 3.53pH. Harvest 4 September to 23 September. 50% new oak. A yield of 40hl/ha. Could go up after tasting in bottle, a potential 100 points. 98-100. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

99 points Jane Anson decanter.com