Contents
One kilometer north of Pétrus in the Bordeaux region, Château Canon Chaigneau cultivates 21 hectares of AOC Lalande-de-Pomerol vines. The talented Thierry Garnaud, former cellar master at Cheval Blanc, is in charge of vinification. A guarantee of exceptional quality, the estate’s efforts are regularly crowned with universal awards.
The vineyard
Château Canon Chaigneau is a family estate that was taken over by the Arconian family in 2020. Romik Arconian, a British wine merchant, runs the estate with his partner, Marine Fontana, an agronomy engineer, and their young children. They have joined forces with the Marin family, who have been present in the vineyard for almost 60 years and are still involved in the estate.
Château Canon Chaigneau is located on the highest part of the Néac plateau, which is the continuation of the Pomerol plateau and constitutes the best part of the appellation, known as the birthplace of many grands crus.
This rich terroir, with its clay-limestone soil and iron deposits, adds real complexity to the wine, which has a great capacity for ageing.
True to regional tradition, 90% of the vineyard is planted with Merlot, 5% with Cabernet and 5% with Pressac, the local name for Malbec.
Château Canon Chaigneau has a long history: the estate’s vines were already used by monks in the 15th century to produce wine. The region also served as a haven for pilgrims and Crusaders on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Château Canon Chaigneau has come a long way since then. Today, it combines tradition and modernity, and has implemented a viticulture method based on the principles of sustainable agriculture. In January 2021, the estate obtained level 3 HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. The vineyard is also aiming to obtain organic farming certification in the coming years, a sign of its commitment to respecting the environment.
Proven expertise
Every year, more than 120,000 bottles leave the cellars of Château Canon Chaigneau.
Château Canon Chaigneau’s “grand vin” (around 60,000 bottles) is produced with the utmost care and attention to detail: vinification is carried out on a parcel-by-parcel basis, with numerous pump-overs. The vatting period is long and the blends are scrupulously studied, enabling this wine to retain its fruit and express the typicity of its terroir and vintage.
The wine is produced in a cellar of traditional cement vats of impeccable quality. The wine is then aged in these vats, as well as in oak barrels. In addition, since 2019, a third of production has been aged in new 500-liter barrels.
The icing on the cake is that Thierry Garnaud, cellar master at the prestigious Cheval Blanc from 1988 to 2018, has been in charge of vinifying the Château Canon Chaigneau cuvee since 1995.
At Cheval Blanc, Thierry has produced some legendary vintages (2000, 2008, 2010 and 2016, among others), and he crafts the estate’s cuvées with the same passion and alchemy as he does for Cheval Blanc. His wines share a common structure and sensuality. His know-how and talent are undeniable, enabling each cuvée to express the full potential of its grape varieties, terroir and vintage. In other words, Thierry is an inexhaustible resource for Château Canon Chaigneau!
Château Canon Chaigneau wines
The château’s wines are designed to be convivial, among the best value for money in a particularly renowned Libourne appellation.
Château Canon Chaigneau wines are made from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet with a touch of Pressac.
The blend produces a dark, deep ruby wine with a complex, intense nose of stewed black fruits, spices, truffles and moccha. Rich, full and dense on the palate, the tannins are woody and round, and a little stricter on the finish, giving a sensation of freshness. The flesh is unctuous with notes of plum and pepper, and offers great complexity over the long finish with cocoa and smoky aromas.
Medium-bodied, it’s both complex and smooth, with balance and finesse, perfect for a warm meal.
Since 2019, Romik and Marine have chosen to develop new cuvées based on carefully crafted parcel selections, blending and aging, including one aged solely in concrete tanks.
The names of these cuvées are still being kept secret: this is the start of a new adventure to be followed closely…
Château Canon Chaigneau wines are silky-smooth and full-bodied, well-balanced and aromatically complex. Its typical notes of truffle, spice, cocoa and stewed black fruit are a perfect match for local cuisine: lamprey à la bordelaise, entrecôte bordelaise, etc.
