Location: located in the appellation Canon-Fronsac, nestled on the “Tertre de Canon” (the highest part of canon).

Arnaud Roux-Oulié :
Previous owner of Vrai Canon Bouché, the winemaker and owner’s son (in charge of the property until 2004), pressed his first vintage in 1990 at the age of 20 year old. While still taking care of his parent’s property, he decided to buy his first property in 1998: Chateau Carlmagnus under the appellation Fronsac (a modern style wine for Fronsac). With the desire to extend his range and explore different terroirs within the same appellation, he bought a second Chateau in 2000: Chateau Lagüe, also in Fronsac (it was a property already belonging to his family). And in 2003, he acquired his 3rd estate: Chateau Mont-Canon, in Canon-Fronsac. 2004 was his last vintage at Vrai Canon Bouché. The Roux family sold it to Mr. Philip de Haseth-Möller.

Vineyard:
The vineyards rests total on 16 hectares of limestone caves from which rectangular stones have been sculpted and taken to build the city of Bordeaux. In fact, the right bank of the Dordogne River from Blaye to the North to Castillon to the south is full of deep caves and labyrinth carved into the porous limestone subsoil
.The 13 hectares of vines, on clay-limestone soil, are planted with 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc (there are no Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot or Petit Verdot on this property).
Château Montcanon : 90 % Merlot 10 % Cabernet Franc
Production : 36 000 bottles

Vinification:
Work in the vineyard is as natural as possible tending toward “Lutte Raisonnée” (responsible viticulture). The leaves are taken off on the northern side of the vines, in August / beginning of September, before and during harvest to accentuate the ripeness with the morning sun and obtain optimum concentration. After manual harvests with sorting tables, the grapes are destemmed then pressed.
The must undergoes a cold maceration during 3 days for maximum of extraction of color, tannins and other essential grape components. Then alcoholic fermentation occurs in concrete vats for Lague and Montcanon(without epoxy or wax to allow a better exchange of oxygen and facilitate the tartaric precipitations), oak vats for Carlmagnus, and starts only with natural yeasts. He does some pumping over in the beginning and the middle of the alcoholic fermentation.
The maceration lasts for 4 weeks. The malolactic fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks for Lague and Montcanon, and barrels for only Carlmagnus. The ageing process takes place in oak barrels between 12 to 16 months depending on the vintage (50% new barrels and 50% of one year barrel for Montcanon and Lague and 100% new barrels for Carlmagnus).
The blending happens just before bottling which is usually better and often easier to control.

Rating:
“This noble effort, displaying terrific purity, power, and richness, provides further evidence that Canon-Fronsac’s cool terroirs were beneficial in the torridly hot, dry summer of 2003. An inky/ruby/purple color accompanies aromas of violets, blueberries, and crushed stones. Powerful, rich, and generous, this sleeper of the vintage should be at its finest between 2006-2014.” Wine Advocate 88-90

Has an intense and balanced nose, with lots of crushed blackberry, plum, mineral and a hint of licorice. Full-bodied, with smooth, silky tannins and a long finish of licorice. Delicious. Best after 2009. 1,000 cases made Wine Spectator 90

Food pairing :
This merlot based wine will be a classic companion to a rack of lamb or a nice steak grilled on the shoots of vine pruned in the winter, duck, pork and beef.

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