This top St.-Emilion estate is one of the few with its vineyards completely surrounded by walls near the medieval village bearing the name of the appellation. It gives the vineyards the feel of a well-kept garden or a top vineyard in Burgundy. The wines are long lived, ultra refined and gloriously complex. Canons from the 1950s and 1960s are legends today with wine collectors. Canon continues to make wines that are seductive and soulful, and James believes that recent vintages since 1998 show similar greatness.

As new vineyard plantings come into their own, today’s reds should be Canon’s best ever. Its most recent 2015 vintage was given a perfect score during James’ en primeur tasting trip earlier this year. Its 2010 and 2011 vintages are available for tasting at our Great Wines of the World event in Hong Kong on November 3 at the Four Seasons Hotel. You can taste for yourself to understand the wines better.

The property shares its owners with Margaux’s Château Rauzan-Ségla and with legendary fashion house Chanel.

Below are six of its most recent vintages rated by James from 2010 to 2015; click on wine names for scores and notes if you are a subscriber.

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2010

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2011

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2012

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2013

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2014

Château Canon St.-Emilion 2015

Photo: a bottle of Château Canon St.-Emilion 2015

Mini-Vertical of Château Canon