La Gritona Tequila Reposado 100% Agave 750 ml

La Gritona | Reposado | 100% Blue Agave | Jalisco Highlands, Mexico | NOM 1533

67Wine Staff Pick — Oscar Garcia Moncada: One of my favorite sipping Reposado Tequilas on the market. Subtle notes of citrus with cooked nopales. Great for sipping or mixed in your favorite cocktails.

La Gritona is the passion project of Melly Cardenas, a female distiller working out of a small, fiercely independent distillery (NOM 1533) in the highlands of Jalisco — one of Mexico's most celebrated tequila-producing regions, known for its red volcanic soils and the exceptional quality of its blue agave. Everything about La Gritona is intentional and hands-on: from the agave harvested at peak sugar production and delivered to the ovens within 24 hours of cutting, to the hand-blown recycled glass bottles made by artisans in the Guadalajara neighborhood of Tlaquepaque.

The agave is baked in thick-walled earthen ovens for 24 hours, then rested for another 24 hours before crushing. The collected juice is allowed to ferment naturally — at a rate dictated solely by the surrounding air temperature, with no added yeasts or shortcuts. The fermented liquid is distilled twice, then rested for 8 months in reused American whiskey barrels before filtering and bottling. Every step of production takes place under one roof, overseen by a small team of local staff. Agave remnants are given to local farmers as cattle feed — nothing goes to waste.

The result is a Reposado of genuine character: subtle and distinctive, with the warmth and depth of barrel aging balanced by the bright, vegetal freshness of highland agave. The nose offers cooked agave, citrus peel and a whisper of vanilla and oak. The palate is smooth and approachable, with flavors of roasted agave, nopales, citrus and gentle spice, leading to a clean, lingering finish. Exceptional for sipping neat or on the rocks, and equally at home in a premium cocktail.

• Producer: La Gritona (Melly Cardenas)
• NOM: 1533
• Style: Reposado Tequila
• Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave
• Region: Jalisco Highlands, Mexico
• Cooking: Earthen ovens, 24 hours
• Fermentation: Natural, open-air
• Distillation: Double distilled
• Aging: 8 months in reused American whiskey barrels
• Bottle: Hand-blown recycled glass
• Bottle Size: 750ml