| Canon 2005 • June 2006 | CANON
1st Great Classified Growth
2005 Vintage
Surface area :
22 hectares (54.34 acres). 15.52 hectares (38.33 acres), of which 3.2 hectares (7.9 acres) are young vines, were in production in 2005.
Yield :
35 hectolitres per hectare
Terroir :
Clay-limestone plateau.
Exposure :
South/South-west facing
Grape varieties :
- 75% Merlot
- 25% Cabernet Franc
Density of plantation:
5,500 and 6,500 plants per hectare
Average age of the vines :
25 years
Vineyard management :
- Double Guyot pruning
- Manual de-leafing
- Crop thinning
- Environmentally-friendly disease and pest control
Growing season :
2005 was a year of drought. After a particularly dry winter (the moisture deficit reached as much as 70%), January and February were very cold, and then March was very mild and almost summer-like. April was the only month to have real rain. The budding and then the flowering (first week of June) were completed in quite quick time and in good weather conditions. The first signs of drought appeared as early as June bringing about a slowing down of vine shoot growth. The hot weather continued into July before letting up in August when the temperatures were cooler. Because of the lack of water, the size of the berries remained small and sugar content as well as total polyphenol content in the grapes at picking were high.
The resulting wine had a magnificent, very deep colour, ripe yet fresh fruit flavours and an amazingly rich tannic structure. These qualities were preserved by Canon’s terroir and its cool limestone subsoil.
Harvest :
Merlot
- 16th September and 17th September (young vines)
- 20th September to 27th September
Cabernet Franc
- The 27th and 28th September
Since the 2002 vintage, the introduction of a new harvest reception system has enabled us to take even greater care of the selection and handling of the grape bunches.
After a painstaking selection in the vines, the best bunches were taken in small-sized plastic crates to the vat cellar entrance. These were then carefully tipped on to a sorting table, where a team of 6 to 8 people removed any berries that were of lesser quality. After a gentle de-stemming, the berries were then sorted by around 10 people who discarded any berries which had not reached perfect ripeness. The crop was then placed in small 3 hectolitre stainless steel containers and tipped from the top of the oak vats, sending the grapes by gravity down into the vats for fermentation.
Canon thereby avoids any aggressive handling of the crop through pumps and pipes.
Vinification :
Alcoholic fermentation (10 days) and 15 days maceration in temperature-controlled oak vats with three daily pump-overs of half or the whole of the volume of the vat.
Malo-lactic fermentation in stainless steel vats and in barrels.
Ageing :
In barrels, 50% of which are brand new, racking through the small bunghole at the end of the barrel every three months, fining with fresh egg whites and no filtering.
Second wine :
Clos Canon
Annual production (estimated) :
60% Château Canon – 40% Clos Canon
Blend :
80% Merlot – 20% Cabernet franc
Managing director : Mr John KOLASA
Cellar master : Mr. Stéphane BONNASSE
Vineyard manager : Mr. Hervé des GARETS
Contact
Château Canon – BP 22 - 33330 Saint-Emilion
Tel : +33 (0) 557 553 345 – Fax : +33 (0) 557 246 800
E-Mail : contact@château-canon.com
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