Prohibited: Some 1924 Wines

by Andrew Chalk

1924 was not just deep into the temperence experiment known as "Prohibition", it is now the inspiration for a modern winemaker's take on what the wines of the era would have tasted like if they had been made (or discovered - maybe by a Wright Bros. drone).

They (Gnarley Head) sent me two to try.

The 1924 Limited Edition 2024 Pinot Noir, CA is aged in Port barrels. Obviously, they impart a huge effect on the complexion of the wine. The nose is like that of a young ruby port. The taste is as if the wine started as a fruity pinot noir, but is now cloaked with an all encompassing woodiness.

The other wine is 1924 Limited Edition Double Black 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi, CA. It is a fruity cabernet sauvignon harvested very ripe to create jammy flavors. There is less wood than above, which makes this just a fruit bomb. Wine Enthusiast, a wine magazine written by people who know nothing about wine, gave it 92/100. I wonder what a kit wine would score from them?

Whether these work for you, is a matter of taste. I did not like them. Maybe prohibition was inspired by people who had tasted wines like these.