The second-growth Margaux property, Durfort-Vivens, located in the heart of the prestigious French winemaking region Bordeaux is set to use biodynamic farming methods across its entire estate, with the change taking effect as early as next year.

Owner of the chateau Gonzague Lurton told the Drinks Business that he started using the controversial viticultural technique in 2009 on 20 per cent of vineyards attributed to the famous winemaking property before upping the proportion to 40 per cent the following year.

Biodynamic farming, which is based around instructions laid out in eight lectures by philosopher and general esotericist Rudolf Steiner in 1924, forbids the use of oil-based fertilisers and agrochemicals to destroy pests and diseases.

"Tasting wines blind from vines which are the same age, but treated differently, in the last two years we have put the biodynamic wine in the first wine and the other in the second," Mr Gonzague said.

Currently, only three Bordeaux wines are accredited as being 100 per cent biodynamic: Pontet-Canet in Pauillac, Fonroque in Saint-Emilion and Climens in Barsac, Sauternes.