For the past 2 ½ years a team of experts in Jalisco, Mexico has been working on an under-the-radar project for Moet Hennessey - a new premium brand of tequila called Volcan De Mi Tierra. The tequila, which comes in two expressions, cristalino and blanco, is produced at the base of a volcano named, quite literally, "Tequila."

Ultra-premium tequila is nothing new, nor is volcanic terroir (there are upwards of 600 volcanoes in the Jalisco region), but a distillery at the base of the 'Tequila' Volcano is just good karma. Finding such a gem was no easy task confesses Trent Fraser, president and CEO of Volcan, "We looked at a lot of properties and for the life of me I couldn't find one, until I finally stumbled across this small three acre property at the end of a dirt road. It was at the base of a 200,000 year-old mountain which the owners told me was called 'tequila volcano.' I knew then we'd found a beautiful gem with a story to tell."

For the project Moet Hennessey teamed up with local Mexican businessman, Don Juan Gallardo and his family, but their ace is Maestra de Tequila (aka: distiller) Anna Maria Romero Mena, who has been working in tequila for 26 years. Romero Mena, a native of Guadalajara, has written books on the topic and spent years consulting for various distillers. According to Fraser, it was her vision for the blend that won the team over.

Romero Mena describes her vision for the blend as something that "expresses the heart of the agave and terroir from which it comes." This approach is why, unlike many distilleries, Romero Mena combines agave from both the lowlands and highlands. Initial production is focused on small batches of blanco and cristalino (a clear añejo style) expressions. In Jalisco's lowlands you get agave that yields austere, strong, sturdy, herbaceous flavors, and in the highlands it's all about elegance finesse and floral flavors. Says Fraser, "She perfectly blended the two terroirs for us, identifying and working the plots and growers of specific agaves to achieve the flavor profile."

Fraser concedes the process has been a big learning curve for him. "We did so many experiments and trials we should have called it 'Trial 177.' We worked with different yeasts and barrels; we tried it all." Not only did they agonize over the taste profile, Fraser tells me they went through 27 different bottle and label iterations before finally landing on the perfect look. Even the copper cap on the cristalino expression is a nod to the parade of master distillers Fraser brought in from across the globe who advised him to only use copper stills in distillation. Stainless steel, they warned, imparts unwanted flavors.

This is Moet Hennessy's first foray into the tequila category. The Blanco sees no age and is redolent with ripe grapefruit and bright and zippy flavors. It's made perfectly to mix.

The Cristalino sees 12 to 18 months of oak aging. After aging, the caramel color tones are extracted. Says Fraser, "You will still get brighter characteristics in this tequila, but also secondary ones like vanilla and caramel. It has a creamier mouthfeel and a more lingering palate, much like a silky grained tannin in wine." This expression lends itself to sipping.

Volcan De Mi Tierra Blanco (SRP: $39.99) and Volcan De Mi Tierra Cristalino (SRP: $59.99)