Derrumbes Mezcal Michoacan Cupreata & Alto

Derrumbes Michoacan is a joven ensamble from Tzitzio in Michoacan, part of a terroir series that dedicates one bottling to each state. It pairs Cupreata, which brings ripe fruit, with Alto (Agave inaequidens), which brings herbal depth, distilled by Lupe Perez Toledo into a wide, layered mezcal that rewards experience rather than first sips.
The agave is cooked in an underground stone pit over black oak and fermented in subterranean tanks lined with pine, which deepens the herbal character. True to local tradition it is distilled in a Filipino still, where the body of the still is wood and the vapours condense through a water filled copper pot set on top, a method that predates copper alembics in the region. It rests at least sixty days in glass before bottling near 45%. Aromas of lime, orange and funky melon lead to grapefruit, salt and herbs, closing on melon, minerality and slate.