Canon stands on the limestone plateau immediately west of Saint-Émilion's church, its vines sitting directly above the old quarries cut into the rock beneath the town. That limestone shapes the wine: Merlot with a serious proportion of Cabernet Franc, firm and mineral where much of the appellation is plush and immediate.
1982 arrived after a hot, fast summer and gave Saint-Émilion its ripest fruit in living memory. This bottle comes from the Fournier family's long tenure at the property, before the cellar troubles of the early nineties and the restoration that followed under Chanel ownership. The 1982 is generally held to be one of the best wines the Fourniers made.
Forty-four years on it will be fully unwound — dried cherry, truffle, warm stone, a long quiet finish. The bottle itself, its label and capsule carrying the marks of four decades underground, is as much of the gift as what is inside it.
-
Producer: Château Canon
-
Vintage: 1982
-
Appellation: Saint-Émilion AOC
-
Format: 75cl
-
Region: Bordeaux, France
-
Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. Canon's limestone structure means bottles from good vintages hold on longer than most of the appellation, but at forty-four years this is mature wine sold as a collectible item without a guarantee of drinkability.
Who it suits. For a forty-fourth birthday in 2026, this is the Right Bank equivalent of a serious Médoc classed growth at a fraction of first-growth money.
Condition. The merchant reports the bottle as good, with nothing noted against the label, capsule or fill.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
