Palenqueros Tobala - Alberto Ortiz

Item: Palenqueros Tobala - Alberto Ortiz
Rating: 4.5
Author: The Editors

Alberto Ortiz tobalá at 50.1%, the reference tobalá under this label

Score: 4.5/5 agaves

Producer: Palenqueros
Maestro: Alberto Ortiz
Region: Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca
Agave: Tobala
ABV: 50.1%
Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

This is the Alberto Ortiz bottle to own if you're going to own two. The espadín above shows the maestro's restraint on a common agave; this tobalá shows what the same restraint does on a wild species. Buy both if you can; buy this one if you have to choose. Reference-grade tobalá at a fraction of what other specialists charge.

Ortiz tobalá is how you learn what the species can do when the hand gets out of the way

Tasting notes

Nose: Wildflower honey with white pepper, wet stone, citrus peel

Palate: Ortiz's characteristic clean-faced hand on tobalá at 50.1%, producing a bottle that reads as both concentrated and transparent – the agave's fingerprints are legible

Finish: Very long, minerally, floral

The bottom line

Buy. The tobalá to own in this label

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

Astor Wines