1973 Bodegas Corral Rioja Gran Reserva 750 ml

Earlier this year, we earned a rare pass into the Bodegas Corral cellars in Rioja, and it yielded a treasure: a nearly 50-year-old Gran Reserva Rioja that disappeared as soon as the offer hit our members' inboxes.

That 1975 felt like a once-in-a-lifetime score—but it wasn’t the only perfectly aged Gran Rioja we tasted on our visit to Bodegas Corral. We’re thrilled now to offer you their delicious 1973 Gran Reserva, straight from the winery cellar!

Needless to say, if you have someone special in your life who was born in 1973, this is a must-have. But frankly, ANYONE who would love to experience a flawlessly cellared, first-class red will be thrilled by the experience of this wine.  

Founded in 1898 and still held by the family today, Bodegas Corral is a bastion of tradition in the Rioja town of Navarrete. It’s located on the original pilgrims’ trail called the “Ruta Jacobea” (Way of St. James), the northern route to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. 

According to Decanter, the strength of the 1973 Rioja vintage shows because only 10% of the grapes harvested that year went into Gran Reserva wines—nearly half as much as normal. It was made from vines that were 33 to 48 years old in 1973. Fully mature and utterly drinkable, this hasn’t left the winery since it was made there in 1973. 

When you crack it open, sip it often, as it  changes form minute by minute, blooming and contracting and blooming again. 

This is a special occasion in itself, a bottle to open in celebration of red wine in Rioja, and in the miraculous longevity great bottles can offer.