Château Durfort-Vivens
Encyclopedia
Château Durfort-Vivens is a winery
in the Margaux
appellation
of the Bordeaux
region of France
. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
.
While the 1855 classification is still legally in effect, more modern classifications have been performed to reconcile changes over time. In The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification
, in which quality of Bordeaux red wine is determined by demand in terms of price, Château Durfort-Vivens is listed as a Fifth Growth. In Alexis Lichine's classification of Bordeaux wine
, which is based on subjective criteria, it is a Grand Cru (Great Growth), putting it in the third group on his list.
.
The property was purchased in 1824 by M. de Vivens, and renamed Château Durfort Vivens.
In the 20th century, the château was purchased by local négociants, and in 1961 it was purchased by Château Margaux
, which was controlled by the Lurton family, which also owns Château Brane-Cantenac
and Château Climens
. Until that time, the wine was produced at Château Margaux
.
Lucien's son Gonzague Lurton, became the head of operations 1992.
, Merlot
, and Cabernet Franc
. A second wine is produced under the label Vivens.
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
in the Margaux
Margaux
Margaux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:The village lies in the Haut Médoc wine making region on the left bank of the Garonne estuary, northwest of the city of Bordeaux.-Population:-Wines:...
appellation
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
of the Bordeaux
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world...
.
While the 1855 classification is still legally in effect, more modern classifications have been performed to reconcile changes over time. In The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification
The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification
The Liv-ex Bordeaux Classification is a classification of Bordeaux wine compiled by the British internet and phone-based wine exchange, London International Vintners Exchange in March 2009, with an aim to recreate the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 in a modern economic context, 154...
, in which quality of Bordeaux red wine is determined by demand in terms of price, Château Durfort-Vivens is listed as a Fifth Growth. In Alexis Lichine's classification of Bordeaux wine
Alexis Lichine's classification of Bordeaux wine
In considering the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Alexis Lichine held the opinion that the list, some hundred years after the selection was made, no longer expressed the whole truth concerning the ranking of Bordeaux wine...
, which is based on subjective criteria, it is a Grand Cru (Great Growth), putting it in the third group on his list.
History
The Durfort property dates back to the 12th century having been owned by the influential Durfort de Duras family for seven centuries. The family also owned the nearby nearby Château Lamothe, later renamed Château MargauxChâteau Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
.
The property was purchased in 1824 by M. de Vivens, and renamed Château Durfort Vivens.
In the 20th century, the château was purchased by local négociants, and in 1961 it was purchased by Château Margaux
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
, which was controlled by the Lurton family, which also owns Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
and Château Climens
Château Climens
Château Climens is a Premier Cru Classé Sauternes wine producer from the Barsac appellation. The estate is located in the southern part of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the district of :Graves, an eighth of a mile away from Barsac's other most historically rated vineyard, Château Coutet.It is a...
. Until that time, the wine was produced at Château Margaux
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
.
Lucien's son Gonzague Lurton, became the head of operations 1992.
Vineyards and wine
The Chateau has 86.5 acres (350,053.4 m²) planted with Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, and Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
. A second wine is produced under the label Vivens.