Aldo Sohm is best known for his work with wine. As wine director of New York City’s three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, the Austrian-born sommelier oversees one of the city’s most prestigious wine programs. Named Best Sommelier in the World in 2008, Sohm has also established himself as a winemaker in his native Austria. Now, he’s bringing that expertise to an entirely different craft: mezcal.
Sohm has partnered with Agua Mágica and fifth-generation maestro mezcalero Don Rogelio Juan Hernández to create Reposado Edición Limitada, a small-batch mezcal aged in Austrian dessert wine barrels. The collaboration brings Sohm’s knowledge of wine and oak aging to a spirit rooted in generations of Oaxacan tradition.
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Produced in San Juan del Río, Oaxaca, the mezcal is made from a blend of 66.6 percent Espadín and 33.4 percent Tepeztate agaves. The latter is a particularly slow-growing variety that can take decades to reach maturity. Under Don Rogelio’s direction, the agaves are cooked in a traditional conical stone oven before being crushed with a stone tahona. The resulting mash undergoes a 10-day wild fermentation in pinewood vats before being double-distilled in copper pot stills.
It’s after distillation that Sohm’s influence becomes apparent. Rather than using conventional French or American oak, the mezcal was aged in Caucasian oak barrels previously used to mature Trockenbeerenauslese (often abbreviated as TBA), an intensely concentrated Austrian dessert wine. The barrels came from Sohm & Kracher, Sohm’s Austrian winemaking partnership with Gerhard Kracher, and previously held a cuvée of Chardonnay and Welschriesling, according to the release’s production notes.
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The choice of barrels is central to the collaboration. Caucasian oak is prized for its fine grain and aromatic character, while the barrels’ previous use for sweet wine offers an opportunity to introduce additional richness without overwhelming the mezcal’s distinctive agave flavors. The intention was to soften the spirit’s more assertive characteristics while preserving its sense of place.
The mezcal spent just over eight months in oak, from October 2, 2024, through June 18, 2025. It was then transferred to glass and rested for approximately nine additional months in a dark underground cellar, allowing the spirit to develop further without continued exposure to wood.
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Bottled at 88 proof, the resulting reposado has a flavor profile that reflects both its agave origins and its unusual maturation. Despite spending eight months in barrels that previously held Austrian dessert wine, the mezcal retains a decidedly dry, savory character. Aromas of candied citrus peel, caramel, and dried fruit introduce a palate that balances sweet, roasted agave with baking spices, and a subtle briny quality. Beneath those richer flavors are distinctly vegetal notes, adding another dimension to the spirit. The finish is long and gently warming, with lingering sweetness offset by a refreshing citrus pop.
Only 750 bottles of Agua Mágica Reposado Edición Limitada were produced. The 750-milliliter bottles are priced at $250 each and are currently available to order through Agua Mágica’s website.
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