Siembra Metl Espadin

Verdict

The Familia Pérez espadín is the bottle that makes the whole Siembra Metl project cohere, clay-still, high proof, single-family, priced like it wants to be drunk rather than hoarded. It argues what Mal Bien argues for Oaxaca: that an importer's best work is pointing a spotlight and then stepping aside. Hunt this down. Consensus 4.0 is earned and probably too careful.

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave, hot clay, warm citrus peel, a faint saline undertone

Palate: Dense and structured, the Pérez family's traditional production leaves clear textural weight, and the clay-still character (a signal of old-method production rather than modern copper-still economics) adds mineral depth copper can't replicate

Finish: Mineral, warm, with a slow clay-earth fade

The bottom line

The best Siembra Metl we've tasted. A reference for single-family bottlings

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

• Saratoga Wine – $119
• Old Town Tequila – $150