Margaux · vintage 2016
Why this vintage
- 97/100 from James Sucklingand 4 other scores above 90/100.
- The 2016 vintage in MargauxA very wet winter followed by a sun-drenched summer produced a rare balance, combining the depth of great years with genuine freshness.
Critic scores
- James Suckling97
- Decanter97
- Wine Enthusiast96
- Vinous93
- Wine Advocate90-92
The 2016 vintage in Margaux
Vintage benchmark: 97/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)
Vintage character: A very wet winter followed by a sun-drenched summer produced a rare balance, combining the depth of great years with genuine freshness.
Overall reading of the year’s season across Margaux. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.
Tasting
Floral nose, a straight-lined body, intense but perfectly integrated, fine length
Blend of the 2016 vintage
- 94 % Cabernet-sauvignon
- 6 % Merlot
Shares for this vintage, as recorded on the 2016 technical sheet. The vineyard itself is planted with 83 % cabernet sauvignon, 13 % merlot, 3 % cabernet franc, 1 % muscadelle — a vintage blend departs from the area under vine as the year dictates.
Figures from the 2016 sheet
- 120,000 bottlesProduction
Winemaking
Traditional, in wood and concrete vats of capacities allowing each plot to be vinified separately
Ageing
18 months in barrel / 60% new oak
Terroir
Situated in the communes of Margaux, Cantenac and Soussans, the Durfort-Vivens vineyard puts down its roots on deep and particularly poor gravel rises. These gravels were deposited by the successive beds of the Garonne in the Quaternary era. This great terroir gives Cabernet Sauvignon an early and optimal ripeness, allowing it to express fully the finesse and silkiness of its tannins, the guarantee of the freshness and elegance characteristic of the great Margaux wines. At Château Durfort-Vivens, the constant search for a natural balance between the vine and its terroir is reflected in traditional cultivation practices. In 2012, 80% of the vineyard was farmed biodynamically and 20% under integrated production
An offer on Château Durfort Vivens 2016
Availability, allocations and terms: the Compagnie Médocaine will reply promptly. The estate and vintage are already filled in in the message.
Texts and documents 2016
The texts below copy in one click for your product sheets, catalogues and social channels. The printable sheet condenses the whole page onto a single A4 page.
Visuals
For this vintage, the media library contains: packshots, labels. High-definition packshots, labels, back labels and lifestyle photos are reserved for clients and partners, on the Compagnie Médocaine’s VinCod media library.
Sheet checked on September 21, 2026. Technical data: the estate’s VinCod sheets. Critic scores: sources cited above, with their date. Vintage benchmarks and character: Compagnie Médocaine’s own editorial read. Soils and relief, where shown: the Compagnie Médocaine’s parcel survey and the Mapbox/IGN terrain model.