We may think we know a thing or two about speakeasies having spent the best part of spring banished from bars, but try living through the entire 1920s with a booze ban. As we've learned this year, necessity is the mother of invention – and just as the industry has become seriously resourceful in the face of chaos, so too did the winemakers during the heart of the prohibition. 

1924 might have been one of the darkest hours for wine, but it was also the year that Delicato Family Wines first planted vineyards in Manteca, California and farmed grapes that were sold to friends and neighbours. Almost a hundred years later, the Californian winery is honouring this period of rebellion with a full-bodied red that brings together two once-forbidden favourites in the Prohibition-inspired 1924 Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon

The wine made at Delicato Family Wines uses a sustainable philosophy, which respects the land and produces superior fruit. 

 

Juicy black cherry, charred oak and a hint of butterscotch give way to blackcurrant, vanilla and toasted spice flavours, with a bold finish and full mouthfeel. We'd expect nothing less from a bold era of gangsters and secret saloons, but these unruly grapes grown in Lodi – an area known for its complex and concentrated wines – still knocked our socks off. Serve with hearty sweet or smoky dishes for the perfect partner in wine.   

Aged on a combination of French and American oak for 8 months, this robust red deserves a special occasion. Even if the most rebellious thing you do this fall is open a bottle of 1924 on a Monday night, we like to think those original bootleggers are raising a glass back at you. 

1924 Limited Edition Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon hits LCBO shelves in the Vintages section on September 20 ($19.95).