Château Durfort-Vivens

The history of the property begins in the 14th century when the Durfort de Duras family established a hunting lodge in Margaux, which was converted into a wine estate in the 17th century. The Durfort family were influential figures in the region for seven centuries, also holding ownership of the lands that would eventually become Château Margaux. The property changed ownership several times after 1758, passing to the Viscount of Vivens in 1824. He appended his name to the estate to create the current title, Château Durfort-Vivens. Following a period of ownership by the neighboring Château Margaux, the estate was purchased by Lucien Lurton in 1961. His son, Gonzague Lurton, took over management in 1992 and continues to oversee operations today.

The vineyards cover approximately 55 hectares across the communes of Cantenac, Soussans, Margaux, and Arsac. The terroir consists of deep quaternary gravel deposits which provide natural drainage and are particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon. This variety typically comprises about 90 percent of the final blend, representing one of the highest concentrations of the grape in the Médoc. Under the direction of Gonzague Lurton, the estate transitioned to ecological viticulture and achieved full organic and biodynamic certification with the 2016 vintage. The winemaking process utilizes concrete and wooden vats for fermentation, while the aging program employs one of the largest collections of clay amphorae in the world to emphasize fruit clarity.

Château Durfort-Vivens was classified as a Second Growth in the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux. This recognition followed historical praise from Thomas Jefferson, who ranked the estate directly after the first growth properties in his 1787 travel diaries. The producer is known for its grand vin and a second label, formerly called Vivens and now produced under the name Le Relais de Durfort-Vivens, alongside a series of parcel-specific bottlings introduced in 2019. The estate is frequently noted for offering high value within its classification tier. In recent decades, the winery has shifted its reputation toward a style defined by precision and tension, moving away from the more austere profiles of its past.