Reviews / Vago Tepeztate - Joel Barriga
Review · · by The Editors
Vago Tepeztate - Joel Barriga
Barriga's tepextate – bright, proofed, structured
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Vago Mezcal
- Maestro: Joel Barriga
- Region: Hacienda Tapanala, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tepextate
- ABV: 51.6%
- Price: $150 ($$)
Verdict
Joel Barriga's tepextate is the brighter, more fruit-forward counterpoint to Jarquín's Miahuatlán version, both are working bottles, but the Hacienda Tapanala expression has a top-lift that stands out in a blind flight. At 51.6% the plant gets what it needs. Between this and the Jarquín tepextate, the regional variation is in the glass.
Two tepextates, two towns, two distinct arguments
Tasting notes
Nose: White flower, green pepper, warm stone, a fruit-skin lift
Palate: Floral and mineral. At 51.6%, with the Hacienda Tapanala bright-fruit signature giving the tepextate an aromatic top that the Miahuatlán bottles don't quite have
Finish: Cooling, peppery. Very long
The bottom line
Track it. Bright-terroir tepextate at full proof
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.