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Green Spot unveils Zinfandel wine cask whiskey
By Nicola CarruthersIrish Distillers has extended Green Spot’s Wine Geese range with the launch of a single pot still Irish whiskey finished in French oak Zinfandel wine casks.
Green Spot Chateau Montelena is finished in Zinfandel wine casks
Green Spot Chateau Montelena has been initially matured in American Bourbon and Sherry casks and then finished for one year in casks previously filled with Zinfandel wine from Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley.
It is described as having “pomegranate, cranberry and maraschino cherry” on the nose. The finish combines “classic long pot still spice flavours with a delicate wine influence”.
Green Spot Chateau Montelena also represents two stories of “Irish endeavour and enterprise”. The Mitchells, who bottled and sold the original Green Spot under bond until 1968 and Jim Barrett, who restored the California-based Chateau Montelena to its former glory in 1972. Son of John Barrett, a Waterford man who emigrated to the USA after World War I, Barrett followed in a long list of ‘Wine Geese’ – Irish migrants that established wineries around the world. Currently Chateau Montelena is upheld by Jim’s son, Bo Barrett.
The expression is the second in the wine cask-finished whiskey range Wine Geese and follows the launch of Green Spot Château Léoville Barton in 2015.
Kevin O’Gorman, head of maturation at Midleton Distillery, said: “Green Spot Chateau Montelena is the celebration of three famous Irish institutions – Midleton Distillery, Mitchell and Son and Chateau Montelena – working in harmony to craft a new and innovative Irish whiskey that will appeal to whiskey and wine drinkers alike.
“Working closely with Billy Leighton, we monitored the finishing process over the course of one year until we reached the perfect balance of flavours – the result is a rich pot still whiskey with classic Green Spot red apples, pears, vanilla and liquorice complemented by the dry and fruity Zinfandel wine.”
Green Spot Chateau Montelena will be available in limited quantities in the US, Canada and Ireland including Ireland Travel Retail.