How to taste wine like a pro (with a glass of Château Canon Chaigneau in hand)

Tasting wine isn’t just about sipping, it’s a full sensory experience. It’s how we connect with the story behind a wine, the land it comes from, and the people who made it. At Château Canon Chaigneau, we believe that every glass of wine is a conversation with our terroir in Lalande de Pomerol. So here’s how to taste wine like a professional — or at least with more pleasure and awareness.

Step 1: Observe the colour, la robe
Hold your glass against a white background and tilt it gently. The robe tells you a lot:

• Our younger vintages like the 2020 will show deep ruby hues with violet edges.
  

• Older ones — like our Grand Vin 2012, lean toward garnet or brick tones.
  

• Our rosé, fresh from neighbouring vineyards, shines a pale pink with salmon glints.
  

Clarity is also key. All our wines are lightly filtered, but we preserve their soul, some slight deposit at the bottom of the bottle? That’s life in the glass.

Step 2: Smell the aromas, the nose
The “first nose” gives you the volatile notes straight from the bottle. Without swirling, you may catch red berries, plum, or a touch of spice.

Now swirl the glass, this is the “second nose.” The wine opens up:

• With our Cuve 8a, expect fresh cherries, violets, and graphite.
  

• The Grand Vin offers deeper aromas, think blackberry, truffle, leather, and subtle oak from its barrel ageing 
  

• Our 100% Cabernet Franc Cuve 1a reveals peppery notes, wild herbs and floral elegance.
  
  

Step 3: Taste, the mouth
Sip, hold, and let it travel. Here's what to notice:

• Attack: the first sensation, freshness, smoothness, or spice.
  

• Mid-palate: the structure. Are the tannins silky? Is there balance between acidity and body?
  

• Finish: the length. A long finish, especially one that lingers like the one in our Grand Vin 2018, is often the sign of a great wine.
  

Over time, your palate will refine itself. And as we like to say: you don’t need to be a sommelier to fall in love with a wine, just curious and open to the journey.