Château Durfort-Viven Margaux 2021 i trækasse

94-96/100 Alexandre Ma
Durfort-Vivens 2021 is like a strawberry jelly, with refreshing and comforting nose, and springy and smooth taste. The rainy and cool weather in 2021 doesn't seem to have any effect on its ripeness, which subtly reflects the wisdom of Gonzague Lurton, the top winegrower in Margaux. He made two important decisions for the vintage, one was to be patient, scrutinize the quality while picking, and never harvest the grapes if the polyphenols were not ripe enough; the other was to blend a significant amount of premium Cabernet Sauvignon (97% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the highest proportion in the history of the Durfort-Vivens). As a result, we are presented with some juice-like tastes and the rare fragrance of plum flowers in this wine. Without being told, you would not have guessed that it has 70% of new oak aging. Thanks to Gonzague’s persistence in 2021, we can have such an amazing experience. I believe it will continue to deliver excellently after bottling.

95/100 Bettane & Desseauve

93-95/100 Anthocyanes

93-95/100 VVWine

93-95/100 Antonio Galloni
The 2021 Durfort-Vivens offers a compelling mix of Cabernet aromatics and notable textural richness. There's tremendous weight, depth and intensity here. Blueberry, lavender, sage, mint and tobacco come together in this potent, deeply structured Cabernet. Inky red fruit, blood orange, mint and exotic spice linger on the substantial finish. Yields were 32 hectoliters per hectare, which is about average, and certainly far better than other vintages where mildew has been a threat, most notably 2018. This is a strong showing from Gonzague Lurton. I should note that Lurton also made his new parcellaire wines, but those aren't shown or sold en primeur, hence their exclusion in this report.

94-95/100 James Suckling
A very focused red, showing blackberry, blueberry and currant aromas and flavors, together with bark. It’s full and layered with lots of fine tannins that give this wine a velvety texture. 97% cabernet sauvignon and 3% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.

94/100 Decanter
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.

92-94/100 Wine Advocate
Containing fully 97% Cabernet Sauvignon this year, the 2021 Durfort Vivens shows considerable promise, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis, dark berries, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's velvety and impressively concentrated, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. Tasted twice.

93/100 Jane Anson

91-93/100 The Wine Cellar Insider
Red currants and cassis with a touch of flowers are in the nose. Medium-bodied, bright, fresh and juicy, there is a crispness to the red berries on the crunchy palate. The wine is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, representing the highest percentage of Cabernet ever placed in the blend in the history of the property. 12.9% ABV. Drink from 2024-2039

91-93/100 Neal Martin
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.