Name: Green Spot – Chateau Montelena
Color: Light Brown
Nose: Malt, oak, citrus, dark wine, vanilla
Taste: Malt, cream, honey citrus, red wine, smoke notes, cedar wood cream
Green Spot Chateau Montelena caught my eye last year as I thought I was finishing up with all the Spot Expressions. If you are unfamiliar with Chateau Montelena, I recommend the movie “Bottle Shock”. It tells the story of how Jim Barret’s wine won the “Judgment of Paris” in 1976. After that California wines started to become a real equal to French wine. I highly recommend the movie and the chardonnay ($60+) if it fits your budget. The Middleton Distillery has partner with Jim Barret whose father emigrated from Ireland to provide cask to finish the whiskey.
Green Spot Montelena is first aged in sherry and Bourbon casks and is then finished in French Oak Zinfandel casks. The whiskey is triple distilled, non-chill filtered, and bottled at 46% abv.
At first taste is strong and very forward taste profile. It has more of a medium body, but with a scotch like flavor profile and finishes with cream like dry cedar wood. I think the Zinfandel finish is too overpowering for my taste. I enjoyed this expression, but I found it a bit odd when my next tasting which was the Green Barton Leoville.
I did not dislike this expression, but it is not in my top it is not in my top 3. My current ranking of Spots and costs as of March 2024.
#1: Green Spot Barton Leoville – $150
#2: Red Spot – $300
#3: Blue Spot – $225
#4: Gold Spot – $185
#5: Green Spot Chateau Montelena – $150/$200
#6: Green Spot – $75
#7: Yellow Spot – $100
Priced around $150 to $200 and I have not seen it in stores. Prices around $35 for 2 oz pour at Dead Rabbit Bar in NYC.
If you like it, drink it! – Chris
If you like it, drink it!
