CAZCANES NUESTRAS RAICES 2026
JALISCO, MEXICO
Wine Enthusiast just awarded an unprecedented 100-point score to Cazcanes's Nuestras Raíces 2025.
Not just the first-ever 100-point score for an agave-based spirit in the magazine's 46-year history, but what is believed to be the first-ever 100-point score for any agave-based spirit, ever.
High praise, indeed, and guess what?
We just secured an allocation of the 2026 edition, which we believe to be every bit the equal of the 2025. And at $110 a bottle, this is, inarguably, one of the steals of the year.
Properly speaking, Nuestras Raíces is not a tequila — and nor has it been certified as such. It hasn’t been certified as a mezcal, either. It's what's known in the business as a destilado de agave, an agave distillate that exists outside the rigid regulatory frameworks that govern those more familiar categories. Think of it as an agave-based spirit that plays by its own rules.
When you take your first incredible sip, you’ll see exactly what I mean.
It’s like stepping into a country you’ve never visited. The agave character is so vegetal and intense and alive. There’s a wild power here that’s exciting, a sense of something undomesticated … or maybe I should say — undomesticable. The notes on the palate are striking and evocative, and not at all what you’d expect to find with a tequila: citrus pith, wet stone, and an array of herbs you can't quite seem to place. We loved the way it moves in waves, with notes of roasted agave appearing then receding, like waves on the shore.
The 2025 growing season, Cazcanes tells us, was exceptional, and vital in how this spirit turned out.
With more mature agave available, Don Humberto Alvarado, the third generation master distiller, and his team could afford to be ruthlessly selective, choosing only plants that expressed the depth that this destilado demands.
Alvarado works from a centuries-old family recipe, and he is a stickler for detail. And for traditionalism.
He forswears the additives that have been creeping into commercial markets, and insists on using natural artesian spring water and organic agave.
Each 300-liter batch gets tasted and approved individually, and there aren’t many batches that go out. Alvarado produces barely 1,000 liters monthly, a pittance compared to the big commercial distilleries.
It’s an extremely slow and laborious process, with not a shortcut in sight.
But Cazcanes wouldn’t have it any other way.
Nor would we.
This is special, folks. Snatch up a bottle while you can — this offer’s sure to sell out quickly.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2026. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, NC, NE, NY, OK, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.