2025 Futures

Vinous (A. Galloni): 91-94/100 “The 2025 Fonroque is a very beautiful wine with great promise. There's quite a bit of Cabernet Franc in the blend, which works well in lifting the wine's aromatics while also adding a good bit of freshness. Dark red-toned fruit, new leather, cedar, spice and incense all take shape in a Saint-Émilion of rare distinction and class. A fine effort."

J-M Quarin: 93/100 “A deep, intense, purplish red colour. A very aromatic nose, with pure, ripe, fresh and spicy fruit. Delicate on the attack, flavourful on the mid-palate, with a lovely texture; the wine lingers on the palate with soft, juicy tannins. Good aromatic length.”

Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 “The 2025 Fonroque has a crisp, pure and very floral nose, unfurling with black cherries, cassis and violet scents. The oak is assiduously utilised here. The palate is medium-bodied with sorbet-like freshness. It feels a little like a low SO2 wine, as if there were some carbonic maceration on the finish! But it has plenty of energy, is nicely structured and should drink well for 12 to 15 years.”

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Bettane+Desseauve : 96-97/100 “This silky wine is underpinned from start to finish by a refined mineral energy. It has the calibre of a Grand Cru Classé. A real favourite.”

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 95-97/100 « Clos Saint-Julien is magnificent in 2025. What a wine. Inky and explosive in the glass, but not at all heavy, Clos Saint-Julien has so much to offer. It's classic Saint-Emilion all the way. Plush contours and silky tannins totally envelop the palate. »

J-M Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, fin, fruité, pur et subtil. Velouté dès l'entrée en bouche, avec de l'éclat dans la saveur et un déroulé au toucher raffiné, le vin évolue riche et profond en finale, avec une incroyable concentration aromatique. C'est délicieux. Cette minuscule propriété d’1,54 hectare fait merveille. »

Vinous (N. Martin) : 89-91/100 

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Bettane+Desseauve : 96/100 “Ripe fruit, violet, graphite and a hint of pepper combine to create a complex bouquet. Velvety and well-balanced on the palate, it is underpinned by fine tannins and a classy finish.”

La Revue du Vin de France : 94-96/100 “This vintage impresses with the quality of its tannins, offering a high level of refinement. The velvety texture, enhanced by the 45% Cabernet Franc and 15% Sauvignon Blanc, is silky and gives way to a rich minerality, which blends harmoniously and smoothly.” 

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 94-96/100 "The 2025 Canon La Gaffelière is bright and beautifully focused right out of the gate. Orange peel, sage, mint, pipe tobacco, dried flowers and mocha soar out of the glass. Floral aromatics and brisk saline notes are the signatures in a tightly wound Canon La Gaffelière that is going to need a number of years to be at its most expressive. I especially admire the energy here."

Vinous (N. Martin): 91-93/100 "The 2025 Canon La Gaffelière includes only 40% Merlot this year, the remainder, 45% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, picked between September 16 and 19. Matured in 30% new oak barrels, this has a tightly wound nose with blackberry, briar and chalky scents, the Cabernet Franc imparting light graphite scents. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry. licorice-tinged black fruit, again, a little chalky in texture, but there is more suppleness compared to the Clos de l'Oratoire on the finish. Promising."

J-M Quarin: 100/100 “Deep black colour. An intense, refined, fruity and, above all, profound nose—the same depth found in Latour or Cheval Blanc. Hints of fresh black fruit. A base note of blackberries. The wine becomes more floral, more refined and even more beautiful when the glass is swirled. Full-bodied on the attack, bursting with fruit on the mid-palate, with a classy texture, and suddenly, a change of pace in the development; the wine gains body and offers extraordinary depth of flavour, whilst remaining measured and smooth. Immense, complex length, brilliant and bursting with fruit. It’s magical. Blend: 76% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol content: 14% - pH: 3.5 - IPT: 70 versus an average of 60. Yield: 40 hl/ha. 100% first press wine. Ageing: 16 to 18 months, 49% new oak, 7% large casks. Harvest began on 28 August, the earliest date on record, and ended on 18 September, also the earliest. As a side note, the separate batches tasted before malolactic fermentation already showed a distinctive and wonderful character where the Cabernet Franc and Merlot were indistinguishable. And the Marie Gabrielle plot reminded me of Chambertin. A reference to Burgundy frequently perceived when tasting Château Canon over the years. This knowledge lies in the heart, intuition and expertise of Stéphane Bonnasse, the winemaker, who brings this splendid interpretation to the world.”

Vinous (A. Galloni) : 98-100/100 "The 2025 Canon is a total stunner. Deep and sumptuous in the glass, it offers tons of the vintage's textural intensity along with all the vibrant, saline energy that is such a signature here. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, new leather, herbs and dried flowers build gradually in the glass, leading to a huge, dramatic finish laced with hints of blood orange, pomegranate and chalk. The interplay of finesse and power is dazzling."

Vinous (N. Martin): 96-98/100 "The 2025 Canon was picked between August 28 and September 18 at 40 hl/ha. This is very pure and refined on the nose, with wonderful delineation, not as flattering as, say, the 2015 or 2019 at this stage, yet very focused and mineral-driven. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, quite sapid, with a pinch of cracked black pepper. Like its "sister", Berliquet, the limestone terroir comes through and seems to "tingle" on the finish. Maybe not a crowd-pleaser, but I like its uncompromising nature that reflects its place of birth"