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Chateau Durfort-Vivens

The history of Durfort-Vivens stretches back as far as the 12th Century, when a property was first established here by the Durfort de Duras family. The Duras descendents held the seat for seven centuries, during which time they held great influence in the region, owning not only this chateau but also nearby Chateau Lamothe, now more commonly known as Chateau Margaux. In 1824, however, it was purchased by Monsieur de Vivens and the chateau was renamed Durfort-Vivens, and the estate was still in the ownership of the Vivens family when it was ranked as one of the five Margaux deuxièmes crus in the 1855 classification, drawn up for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce. The passage of the 20th Century saw several more changes of ownership, with Durfort-Vivens first passing through the hands of some local négociants before its purchase by the Lurton family, major shareholders of Chateau Margaux. The wine was in fact made at Margaux, which lies adjacent to the Durfort-Vivens vineyards, until Lucien Lurton, who also owned Brane-Cantenac, took full control of Durfort-Vivens in 1961. Today the property remains in the hands of the Lurton family, who run a number of Bordeaux chateaux including Brane-Cantenac and Climens. Gonzague Lurton left his job in banking to take on the role of manager at Durfort-Vivens in 1992 when Lucien divided his estates between his children, a process that also saw Lucien's other son, Henri, take over at Brane-Cantenac. This may have been a crucial factor in the continuing development of this property, as Gonzague went on to construct a new chai and also to install new wooden and cement fermentation vats with temperature control in 1995 and 1996. These are crucial developments if the wines are to reach the standards expected of today's markets and consumers.

The Durfort-Vivens vineyards comprise 32 hectares in all, on the typical gravelly soils of Margaux which date from the Quaternary period. Planting density is 6666 vines/ha, and Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, accounting for 70% of the vineyard, in keeping with that at other properties in Margaux. The remainder is 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, and yields are typically 45 hl/ha. Harvest is by hand, and the subsequent vinification is temperature controlled, as mentioned above, utilising a mixture of vat materials, including cement, wood and stainless steel. Subsequently the wine goes into barriques of which 40% are new each year. Gonzague Lurton has a direct hand in the winemaking, along with oenologists Yves Glories and Jacques Boissenot. The grand vin is Chateau Durfort-Vivens. The second wine was Domaine de Cure-Bourse, but rejected fruit now goes into Segond de Durfort and Relais de Durfort. More recent vintages have seen the introduction of a new label, Vivens Rouge.

One aspect of this wine which has come in for criticism from several quarters in the past is the high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, which has been as high as 82%. Some feel the wines would benefit from even less Cabernet Sauvignon - a number of nearby chateaux use as little as 40%. Having tasted an assortment of vintages over the years, I feel the wines lag behind what I would expect of a deuxième cru chateau. The 2004 was particularly good, from a vintage where the wines of Margaux seemed strong and unusually consistent across the board when I tasted them once in bottle, in 2006. I must confess I was a little taken aback by how attractive I found the wine, and I hope it signals bigger and better things from Durfort-Vivens. Looking back over previous vintages, such as the 2003, 2001, 1999, 1998 and 1995, I see a string of good wines, middle weights although with some notes of elegance and typicité here and there. In many cases they are nice wines. But I can not shake off the feeling that, put simply, Durfort-Vivens could do better. (3/2/04, updated 10/4/07)

Contact details:
Address: Chateau Durfort-Vivens, 33460 Margaux
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 57 88 31 02
Fax +33 (0) 5 57 88 60 60
Internet: www.durfort-vivens.com

Chateau Durfort-Vivens - Tasting Notes

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2007

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2007: There are aromas of rich fruit and some new oak here. Cool on entry, quite stylish, with bright red-black fruits. This sample has a dry midpalate extraction, with a drying, smoky, dark fruit finish. It has the necessary structure to develop. From my 2007 Bordeaux en primeur assessment. 14.5-15.5+/20 (April 2008)

2006

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2006: Quite a depth of fruit on the nose here at first, perfume, stony character quite true to the commune. Full, rounded, plump palate, but a gentle texture, in general a middleweight. Rather firmer on the finish, where there are notes of liquorice. Peppery tannin. Overall, an unusual style. From my 2006 Bordeaux assessment. 14.5-15.5/20 (April 2007)

2005

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2005: This wine is perhaps a little closed down on the nose, showing little in the way of fruit character on the day, although there is some honeyed oak apparent. It also seems a little spirity - I wonder what the alcohol content is? Nevertheless, it has a lovely presence on the palate, with a fresh redcurrant, cherry and cranberry style. The style is supple, soft, rounded, and overall it is quite nicely put together, although it misses the vigour present in some other wines. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2007)

2004

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2004: A fine, exuberant and yet precisely defined nose with a lovely perfume; this seems surprisingly good. No disappointment on the palate either, where there is a very attractive, ripe style with a beautifully integrated tannin structure. Perfumed, minerally, with fine acidity. This is very well put together. A real success for Durfort-Vivens in this vintage. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 17.5+/20 (October 2006)

Vivens Rouge (Margaux) 2004: A moderate concentration of colour. Simply quite light on entry, although this builds to a supple creaminess through the midpalate. It feels rather forced though, and lacks concentration of fruit. This is decent at best, but seems like a good effort for a second wine. 14/20 (February 2007)

2003

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2003: A suggestion of maturity on examination; are the 2003s maturing more quickly than other vintages? Nevertheless, this is another wine showing very well today. Some good typicité on the nose, this has lost the chocolate and berry fruit it showed in 2005, and now has more attractive, gravelly features with some restrained fruit. This doesn't seem typical of the vintage. Nice texture and weight, supple, quite rounded and soft, with just a soft tannic coating at the finish. In this respect it is atypical, as it is missing the huge wall of tannins other wines possess, but the acidity is still very low. A light, low-acid but firm wine, but a better showing than last time. 15.5/20 (February 2007)

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2003: Creamy-berry fruit and white chocolate nose. Lithe, supple, creamy edge to the attack, but completely loses it all through the midpalate. Lacks presence, flavour, style and character. Although the tannins are, in its favour, not over done. But not a success. From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 15/20 (October 2005)

2001

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 2001: More dark, dense fruit here, over a note of gravel, and the smoky influence of oak which will settle with time. Unsurprisingly at this age the palate is very primary, with pure blackcurrant fruit, with red fruit and beetroot nuances. Nevertheless there is plenty of style and structure here, with a backbone of ripe, approachable tannins. I think this has the edge over the 1999. Should be drinking well soon although it may close down first. 15.5+/20 (November 2003)

Relais de Durfort (Margaux) 2001: Red fruits with a confected note on the nose. Pleasant raspberry fruit on the palate, although confected again. Lightweight, with little structure. 13.5/20 (November 2003)

1999

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 1999: This has dense, smoky power on the nose. Very clean on the palate, with plenty of firm, glossy black fruits and a good tannic structure. Exotic notes of beetroot and violet perfume, with gravelly notes too. Good typicity for Margaux fans. This should be a lovely wine in time. 15.5+/20 (November 2003)

1998

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 1998: A moderate, attractive depth of colour. A fine nose, with a gravelly, floral perfume, and lots of Margaux typicité. Very fresh, attractive, gentle palate, with nicely integrated tannins. Very typical, good style, light but supple and attractive. Very much a wine of the appellation (of the terroir, perhaps?). Quite ready now on the basis of this tasting. 16.5/20 (February 2007)

1995

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 1995: Initially there is a wealth of dark, dense fruit on the nose, but it opens out in the glass to give something more recognisable as claret. Showing some maturity, with some attractive perfume as well. Medium weight on the palate. Good structure. Overall quite classically styled. Like many other 1995s it is still somewhat angular at present and needs another year or two in bottle. 15.5+/20 (November 2003)

1988

Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) 1988: A dense purple hue. Quite a stunning, elegant, mature claret nose. The palate doesn't disappoint, with a well rounded mouthfeel and smooth texture. Soft tannins, balancing acidity, and soft elegant fruit. Finishes well, if anything a little short on the finish. From a Bordeaux 1988 blind horizontal tasting. 16.5/20 (May 2000)