Reviews / Cruz de Fuego Tepextate
Review · · by The Editors
Cruz de Fuego Tepextate
Cruz de Fuego tepextate at 47%, the range's strongest, and the bottle that justifies the producer's shelf space
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Cruz de Fuego Mezcal
- Maestro: Carlos Mendez Blas, Margarita Blas
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tepextate
- ABV: 47%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Cruz de Fuego's entry espadín is forgettable; the tepextate is the bottle that justifies tracking the range. At 47% the 25-year agave's floral-mineral character comes through without the commercial smoothing that flattens most mid-tier tepextates. Buy the tepextate and skip the rest of the Cruz de Fuego lineup unless the wild-agave bottles prove themselves too.
Cruz de Fuego's wild-agave line exceeds the entry espadín
Tasting notes
Nose: Wildflower, wet stone, white pepper and a faint cooling-herb high note
Palate: Aromatic, tepextate's character intact with the proof doing proper structural work
Finish: Cooling, drying, with a slow floral fade. Very long
The bottom line
The one to buy in the range
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.
- Saratoga Wine – $96.94
- Astor Wines