2021, Château Durfort Vivens, MARGAUX, 2ème Grand Cru Classé

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot.

The 2021 Durfort-Vivens turned out beautifully - rich, dynamic and super-expressive. More than anything, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. Dark fruit, lavender, liquorice, leather and clove all scream out of the glass. Today the 2021 is an infant. It needs time to shed some of its considerable tannin and for the acids to soften, although that might not ever fully happen. 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous (2023).

The 2021 Durfort-Vivens, picked from September 24 until October 18, the latest ever, also contains the highest amount of Cabernet ever, at 97%. Gonzague Lurton told me that biodynamie has nudged the blend naturally toward the variety. Matured in 30% amphorae and 70% new oak, it presents a well-defined nose of perfumed pressed iris flower filtering through the lattice of black fruit, touches of peony emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, and like the Ferrière, almost Pauillac-like albeit, leading to an elegant and quite understated finish. 91-93 Neal Martin, Vinous (2022).

The 2021 Durfort Vivens has turned out well in bottle, offering up aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with notions of pencil shavings and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, layered and lively, it exhibits impressive depth and sweetness of fruit, not only for the vintage but also for a blend dominated by fully 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, concluding with a long, precise finish. 93 William Kelley, Wine Advocate (2024). 

Bright red berries on the nose - strawberry and raspberry, softly fragrant with rose petal, violets and dark chocolate scents. Succulent and really delicately juicy with the perfume surrounding the berries on the palate with a soft chalky, minerality coming through from the acidity. Lovely balance, this is fresh and so alive but also deeply flavoured, with the Cabernet (97% of the blend) mint markers in abundance. Delicious and vibrant, still with a youthful energy and a precise tannic structure giving the frame. You can tell they got maturity, but have also achieved perfect extraction giving just the right weight without bitterness or any harsh tannins - and an exceptional length giving an abundance of freshness. Total Margaux glamour on show in a vintage where it was harder to find than usual. A surefire must buy! 30th vintage by Gonzague Lurton. A yield of 35hl/ha. Ageing in 70% new oak barrels and 30% amphoras. 94 Georgina Hindle, Decanter (2022).

Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045