CHÂTEAU CANON CHAIGNEAU
BORDEAUX/ LALANDE-DE-POMEROL
Under the stewardship of Romik Arconian and his wife Marine Fontana, a trained viticulturalist, Château Canon Chaigneau is now focused on producing a more natural style of wine, employing traditional methods and using fewer chemicals. The property was awarded full HVE (Haute Valeur Environnemental) level 3 certification in 2020, further exemplifying their commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness.
At the heart of this exceptional winery is Thierry Garnaud, the esteemed winemaker who spent four decades as Cellar Master and Winemaker at Château Cheval Blanc. Thierry's savoir-faire and talent are undisputed, as demonstrated by the perfect scores his creations have garnered over the years. In 2018, he decided to retire from Château Cheval Blanc and shift his full attention to Château Canon Chaigneau, where he lovingly crafts both the Grand Vin and the new Cuve 8a with the same passion and alchemy that he had at Cheval Blanc.
Thierry's approach to winemaking emphasizes minimal intervention and traditional methods, allowing the vines and grapes to speak for themselves. His aim is to create wines that are delicious, drinkable, and complex, representative of both terroir and vintage, singular, original, and unmistakeable. He eschews modern practices that can lead to over-concentration and over-alcoholic wines, instead focusing on balance and structure, with an "iron fist in velvet glove" approach that is sure to delight even the most discerning of palates.
Château Canon Chaigneau is located in Lalande-de-Pomerol, an appellation steeped in history and tradition with vineyards that have been cultivated for over two millennia. The terroir here is strikingly similar to that of its more famous neighbors, Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, and the wines produced here are nothing short of exceptional.
Owner
Winemaker
Region
Farming
Harvest
Size
Grapes Grown
Website
Vineland Rep.
Romik Arconian
Thierry Garnaud
Bordeaux/ Lalande-de-Pomerol
Sustainable
Manual
21 hectares
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
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Canon Chaigneau “Cuvée 8a”
Thierry Garnaud, winemaker at Cheval Blanc for 38 vintages, wanted to try his hand at something different. A pure expression of a unique terroir, but more modern, without oak, and available as an everyday drinker, without breaking the bank. ‘8a’ is the identity in our chai of the cuve in which this wine is lovingly crafted.
Soil: Clay & limestone with iron deposits.
Grape variety: 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Vines Age: 30 years old
Harvest: To achieve optimal maturity, the grapes are harvested manually parcel by parcel. After harvesting, the grapes are destemmed, leaving a little stem for added complexity. The selection process on the sorting table is rigorous, with five people on deck at all times, ensuring only fruit of the highest quality is chosen.
Vinification & Ageing: Made from specific parcels of slightly younger vines, it’s vinified & matured solely in concrete, and can be enjoyed sooner than it’s ‘grand vin’ sibling. Not a second wine, but very much a different cuvée.
Tasting Notes:
"A medium-bodied red with ripe and mellow dark fruits, firm tannins and hints of dark spices and walnut. Fine tannins and polished texture. Chalky finish." – James Suckling
‘.. has more lift and certainly more complexity on the nose compared to the regular bottling. Slightly more tertiary in style, savory perhaps. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, black olive and tinged black fruit that define its saline finish. This is an excellent Lalande-de-Pomerol that is worth hunting down’ Neal Martin, 91....has more lift and certainly more complexity on the nose compared to the regular bottling. Slightly more tertiary in style, savory perhaps. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, black olive and tinged black fruit that define its saline finish. This is an excellent Lalande-de-Pomerol that is worth hunting down" – Neal Martin
92
2019
NM
91
2020
JS
Canon Chaigneau “GRAND VIN”
Possibly our most complete wine yet, our winemaker, Thierry Garnaud switched us to new French oak 500 litre barrels from Sylvain, Demptos & Taransaud. The result is stunning, a very subtle and complex grain of oak to indulge a wonderfully classic & opulent vintage. Great now, but will improve beautifully over the next 20 years. (2019 Vintage)
Soil: Clay & limestone with iron deposits.
Grape variety: 95% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
Vines Age: 35 years old
Harvest: To achieve optimal maturity, the grapes are harvested manually parcel by parcel. After harvesting, the grapes are destemmed, leaving a little stem for added complexity. The selection process on the sorting table is rigorous, with five people on deck at all times, ensuring only fruit of the highest quality is chosen.
Vinification: The vinification is done using high-quality cement cuves that vary in size, corresponding to the parcels they represent, from 44 hectolitres to 150 hectolitres. The process takes around 14 days, and three 'remontages' occur each day. This is a labor-intensive process that involves gentle pumping of the wine in and out of the cuves to ensure complete extraction.
Ageing: Around 35% of the wine undergoes aging in new or two-year-old 500-liter French oak barrels sourced from renowned Tonneliers such as Sylvain, Demptos, and Taransaud. The wine is regularly tasted from different barrels, and trial 'assemblages' are conducted to create the best possible version of their terroir by blending different lots. After aging for roughly 20 months, the wine is bottled gently, ready for labeling and capping on demand, ensuring it arrives in perfect condition.
Tasting Notes:
".. impeccably made wine, the 2019 Château Canon Chaigneau sports a dense purple hue as well as a great nose of wild strawberries, darker cherries, leafy herbs, and spring flowers. Soft, supple, and just undeniably delicious, it’s a terrific buy for those looking for a great Bordeaux to drink over the coming decade." – Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2020 Grand Vin is fascinating to taste next to the 8a, as it really shows the role oak plays in adding support to a wine. Ample and expressive from the start, Canon-Chaigneau is gorgeous. Black cherry, plum, chocolate and leather flesh out in a gorgeous Lalande-de-Pomerol that has so much to recommend it. Terrific."– Antonio Galloni
92
2019
JD
92
2020
JS
