Ranked as a 2nd growth in the 1855 classification of the wines of the Left Bank, Chateau Durfort-Vivens is located in Margaux. In the 11th century the Durfort's of Duras were knights from Quercy, but a match with the descendant of the future Pope Clement V saw them elevated to the rank of The Lords of Duras. They arrived in Margaux in the 14th century, and in 1450 Thomas de Durfort became Lord of Margaux. Four centuries later Viscount Robert Labat de Vivens inherited the estate from The Lords of Duras and added his name to the property, establishing Chateau Durfort-Vivens in 1824. The estate was bought by Château Margaux since 1937, a main shareholder of which was the Lurton family, and in 1961 Lucian Lurton became the sole owner, gifting it to his son Gonzague in 1992. Durfort-Vivens cultivate 55 hectares of vines spread between the communes of Margaux, Cantenac and Soussans, planted with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc on deep gravel soils with a sand and clay matrix. The average age of the vines is 50 years. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, and when they gained Demeter certification in 2016, Durfort-Vivens were the first classified growth in the Margaux appellation to become 100% biodynamically certified. The wines age on average for 18 months in oak, 50% new. The Durfort-Vivens style is ripe and concentrated, and has the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in all the wines of the southern Médoc.
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