Lágrimas del Valle Reposado Review | Single Ranch Tequila Magic

[00:00:00] Today we're diving into one of the most fascinating projects in modern tequila. La Grimas de Valles. It's a collaboration between Altimore brand and the legendary Rosales family at Cascaline. This isn't your typical reposado. This is Rancho Unica tequila that proves terroir is real in agave. So here's what makes La Greenha special. Every vintage is harvested from a single field, or as they call it, Rancho Unica. Just like winemakers talk about terroir, soil, altitude, floral, funa. This project celebrates how each ranch imparts its own personality into the agave. This bottle is from Rancho El Romita in guanajuatro. Sitting at 1,760 meters. Aves here reached 37 Brix, which is a super high sugar content. It means more flavor richness once it's fermented and distilled. It's produced at Cascoine under the direction of Chava Rosales, one of the most respected master distillers in Mexico. This reposado is matured for three months in a third and fourth filled ex bourbon barrels. So you get a whisper of oak without covering up the beautiful agave. It's also bottled at 46 ABV. Still full flavored but incredibly drinkable. Let's give it a nose right away. Soft aromas, baked agave, faint oak, a hint of the valley. And that earthy pedrichorn note you get after a rain in Jalisco. [00:01:25] True limestone earthiness on the palate, Sweet cooked agave. [00:01:31] I get a lot of floral notes and some peach pit, a light mint, a touch of salinity or salt. A whisper, a grassiness. And that pedricore concrete limestone just really kicks it up in the flavor. [00:01:45] I've had the blanco a little bit earlier today and the only difference I really pick up from the blanco is, is just that touch of oakiness and maybe a like, a little touch of like musty barrel house caramel that's just kind of kissed this tequila. It makes me want to get another one. This is the 2024 La Sabina. [00:02:09] Fantastic. A little more oaky that time. A little more barrel, a little more minerality. I got to tell you, the finish, it's light oak, a trace of caramel, a little bit of sweetness fading into some spicy mineralness. And I also get a little bit of nice in the finish. There's so much nuance in this. It's. It's really awesome and it is a lot of fun to sit down with different lots or vintages and taste them through to see how much the tequila varies in flavor just from the agave. La Grimas del Valle proves that tequila doesn't need heavy aging or additives to have complexity. It's just great agave, thoughtful distillation and respect for place. If you love projects like this, if you like Ocho, if you like Costcoine, this is a must try for you. If you want to hear the full backstory, including how this project came to life and the philosophy behind the vintages, and also a master class on taste, I just interviewed Brandon Cummins, Director of Education for Altimore Brands and the blender for High and Wicked Fine Whiskeys right here on this channel. Check it out. Look for Interview with La Grimas del Valle and you'll find the video on YouTube. Subscribe if you love learning about tequila and the way it's meant to be made, drop a comment if you've had this Rancho Tequila and if you had any other La Grimas tequilas, let me know which one's been your favorite so far. Salute. Have a great night.