ArteNOM Selección de 1414 Tequila Reposado

ArteNOM Selección de 1414 Tequila Reposado comes from NOM 1414, the Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados distillery in Arandas, Los Altos, bottled under the ArteNOM curator line that releases single distillery expressions by their NOM. The Vivanco family farms around two thousand hectares of highland agave and is known for rich, well balanced tequilas.

The signature here is fermentation of the agave must with wild field harvested yeast, which the family uses to draw out the highland terroir. The agave is steam roasted at low pressure after the central cogollo is removed, then the spirit is rested in oak to reposado. The character stays mild and restrained: pale straw in the glass, vegetal chaparral and roasted sweet potato on the nose, then a fine, soft palate of salted vanilla biscuit, allspice and a touch of mild chilli warmth, fading to an almost fragile finish.