Palenque Tepextate Baltazar Cruz Gomez: discovering the terroir of Oaxaca

Palenque Tepextate Baltazar Cruz Gomez is an agave distillate produced from Maguey Tepextate in the area of San Luis del Rio, Tlacolula, Oaxaca, by Baltazar Cruz, a first-generation Palenquero of great entrepreneurial skill.

This project is the brainchild of Luca Gargano, who involved six producers from various villages in the state of Oaxaca, as well as the project coordinator Hector Vazquez. The idea is to create a map of the terroir of Oaxaca, of the various species of agave and the conditions in which they grow. The producers' approach is artisanal, with a few innovations, but they maintain a focus on the quality of the agave, the soil and the production process, each based on their own personal recipe.

This Palenque has a nose that is initially mineral, with a hint of acidity, and then reveals hints of seeds and nuts that gradually become more herbaceous and vegetal. On the palate, savoury and peppery initial notes prevail, followed by tones of onion, salt and burnt caramel, with a persistent and bitter aftertaste of cinnamon and ginger.