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FRANCE
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Croix Canon
(formerly Clos Canon)
WINERY OVERVIEW
Château Canon, located on top of the limestone plateau in view of the village of Saint-Émilion,
was originally part of the Clos St-Martin vineyard. It was purchased in 1760 by Jacques Kanon,
frigate lieutenant and corsair working for King Louis XV. Officially renamed Château Canon
in 1853, the estate was purchased by the Wertheimer family in 1996, owners of the famed
Chanel fashion house. In 2011, Canon purchased Château Matras to add to the production of its
second wine, Clos Canon.
In the summer of 2013, the Canon team unveiled the meticulously restored “Chapelle
de Mazerat.” On the Saint-Émilion hillside sloping gently down to the Dordogne River, a
magnificent stone cross marks the entrance to this chapel, which gave rise to a new label in
2011: “Croix Canon, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.” The 12th century church now houses the entire
winemaking and production side of the second wine. Today, Château Canon is recognized as a
Première Grand Cru Classé “B” of Saint-Émilion and one of the great estates of Bordeaux.
LOCATION OF VINEYARD
In the 1990’s an extensive project was started to replant the vineyards and modernize the
winemaking facilities at Château Canon. The wine is crafted using grapes from the 27 acres (11
hectares) surrounding the chapel, as well as from the young vines on the hillside. The plots are
planted with 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, and the average age of the vines is 35 years.
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
Croix Canon is crafted with the same precision as the Grand Vin. In the vineyard and
cellar, winegrowers and workers apply the most meticulous methods, precise plot-by-
plot management, and grape selection further refined by manual sorting. The gravity-flow
fermenting room makes it possible to manipulate the grapes very gently. Made from a blend,
which combines a majority of Merlot with a smaller quantity of Cabernet Franc, the wine is
then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, including a small proportion of new barrels to
preserve aromatic balance and freshness of the fruit.
Owned by
:
Gérard and Alain Wertheimer
Winemaker
:
Nicolas Audebert
Founded in
:
1760
Region
:
Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
Country
:
France
Wine
:
Croix Canon, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru