Palenque Tobalà Alberto Ortiz: discovering the terroir of Oaxaca

Palenque Tobalà Alberto Ortiz is an agave distillate produced from the Maguey Tobalà in the area of Bramaderos, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, Oaxaca, by Alberto and Onofre Ortiz, father and son as well as fourth and fifth generation palenqueros, who use personal recipes with a variety of agave blends: an ancient practice determined by the availability of plants in the chosen field.

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 presents a nose that begins with hints of spices and then evolves into lactic, fruit and floral aromas. On the palate, dulce de leche immediately emerges, followed by fruity and vegetal notes that become astringent and then give way to a caramel sweetness veined with bitter hints of resins and green herbs.