Brothers Hector and Pablo Durigutti built separate reputations at some of Argentina’s most prestigious wineries before joining forces to take over Maza, an historic estate in the high sub-region of the Mendoza region’s Luján de Cuyo. Keeping the old exterior, they built a state-of-the-art production facility that combines the latest technology with traditional methods. Having enjoyed considerable success with Malbec, the brothers were eager to make Cabernet Sauvignon, which takes equally well to Mendoza’s desert climate, lean soils and high altitude. As this bottling shows, in the hands of talented winemakers, the varietal is as intense and complex as Cabernet from anywhere in the world. Sip It may come from the high desert of Argentina’s Mendoza desert, but his Cabernet shows excellent varietal accuracy with good depth and balance. The wine delivers scents of cassis, plum, blackberry and mint, and flavors of redcurrant, blue plum, graphite and sage. Savor Grilled red meats are a wonderful complement to young Cabernets like this one, as the hint of bitterness from the char marries with the primary ripe fruit flavors. Pork, lamb and venison are other great matches.
Durigutti Malbec offers a lush nose laced with black-berry and plum fruit. Soft yet focused on the palate, with additional flavors of strawberry and wild herbs. Medium tannins and balanced acidity. A terrific everyday drinker.