Château Durfort-Vivens 2021

The powerfully textured wine's richness and structure are reflected in the blackberry aromas and toast spice. It is dense, full with concentrated black fruits and rich tannins. Drink from 2028. Biodynamic. Roger Voss. January 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. Drinking window: 2026 - 2049. Georgina Hindle. April 2022.

97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot L’année 2021 a été particulièrement cruelle pour Gonzague Lurton et ses équipes! Le résultat obtenu leur met un peu de baume au cœur. En effet, la fraîcheur du Cabernet Sauvignon est invitante et le profil olfactif se veut complexe, multiple. Ainsi, le bouquet affiche de la profondeur tout en soulignant que le vin n’est évidemment pas issu d’un millésime chaud. Ainsi, outre des nuances d’eucalyptus et de menthe, il révèle des parfums de framboises, de sureau et de garrigues. De caractère élancé à l’attaque, le vin a du muscle et de la tension. Les tannins assurent bien les arrières, communément avec une structure acide salivante. Un Durfort Vivens linéaire, droit et, surtout, aucunement saturant, bien au contraire, redemandant. 2026-2041. Novembre 2023.

A pretty and layered red with cedar, crushed stones, mushrooms and pine needles. Medium-bodied and creamy. Excellent finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold. April 2024.

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. Drinking window: 2027 - 2047. William Kelley. February 2024.