Montagave Tequila

Founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife duo John and Lucie Melvin, Montagave blends deep-rooted tequila tradition with a unique approach to resting and aging. Working in collaboration with the revered Cascahuín distillery (NOM 1123) in El Arenal, Jalisco, Montagave marries four generations of tequila expertise with some of the finest French wine barrels in the world to explore new frontiers in agave spirits.

John and Lucie met and were married in Colorado—a union which spontaneously led to the idea for Montagave. They were planning a second wedding in Lucie’s birth country, France, for the following year, and they wanted to serve something truly special to their friends and family. Uniting Lucie’s childhood in France and John’s family history growing nearly a dozen Côtes du Rhône grape varietiesoutside of Austin, Texas, wine seemed a natural fit. They next decided to incorporate tequila, further representing John’s Texas roots. The dream was to combine these two categories of provenance, but unfortunately, nothing available at the time quite met their expectations. So, they made it themselves.

They purchased an ex–Cabernet Sauvignon French oak barrel, enough Cascahuín tequila at retail to fill it, and aged their own tequila in their living room. They served the aged tequila at their wedding, it was a smash hit, and then people asked for more. John and Lucie knew from the start they were on to something special and saw an opportunity to create a unique take on modern tequila, simultaneously harkening back to some of the earliest examples of resting agave spirits in barrel. With this mission in mind, they reached out to their favorite fabrica, whose tequila they’d already been proving their concept with—NOM 1123.

Since 1904, Tequila Cascahuín has been a revered protector of traditional tequila production. It’s distinguished today amid the renaissance of historically made tequila for its longevity as a producer, the quality of the raw agave used in production, and the distinctive and authentic flavors of its distillates—in short, the superior standards and quality of its tequila. John and Lucie found they had an immediate connection with the Rosales family, who were impressed by the caliber of their experimental batches.

Trilingual Lucie established relationships with great wine producers throughout France to source the finest casks with the understanding that the best wines in the world use the best barrels in the world. John and Lucie tasted through these wines with the Rosales family to find the most harmonious pairings for the many marques, or tequila recipes, capable of being produced at Cascahuín before settling on a tequila perfect for aging in French oak wine barrels.

Produced from mature valley agave responsibly sourced from families around El Arenal, this brick-oven-roasted, mill-crushed, long-fermented, pot-distilled tequila is proofed down before entering the barrel to ensure none of the delicate flavors imparted during aging are lost to dilution before bottling. 

Montagave takes great strides to ensure the character of the tequila is elevated rather than simply influenced by this time in barrel. Unconcerned with age statements or designations, each batch of Montagave is guided by its resting or aging vessel—which include a five-ton concrete egg and wine casks from Bordeaux, Sauternes, and Grand Cru Burgundy—resulting in unique tequilas of rare character.