I'm delighted to offer you the 2023 vintage of this exclusive member favourite ahead of its arrival in the UK next year. A special blend created with the great Rioja bodega of La Rioja Alta, 874’s name is based around the founding year of The Wine Society (1874). Their meticulous selection was so rigorous that the bodega chose not to produce its 904 and 890 Gran Reservas in 2023, leaving me with access to some outstanding tempranillo that would normally be destined for those flagship wines. I think the result is a blend that beautifully reflects the character of the vintage while remaining unmistakably 874.
Order by midday on Tuesday 21st July
One of the highlights of my many trips to Rioja is undoubtedly blending 874 with winemaker Julio Sáenz and the brilliant La Rioja Alta team. It's a day that nobody at the winery seems to want to miss, we gather around a table covered in countless barrel samples, tasting, debating and refining until we've created the next vintage of this much-loved Wine Society exclusive from some of the bodega's finest plots and barrels.
Now in my second year leading the blend, my aim is to preserve the unmistakable hallmarks of 874, its generous texture, aromatics and beautiful balance. Every year brings different conditions in the vineyard, so the challenge, and the enjoyment, lies in adapting the blend to capture the very best of what nature has given us.
The blend remains reassuringly familiar at 70% tempranillo, 25% garnacha and 5% graciano, yet behind the scenes there were challenges, with rain during harvest meaning Julio and the team had to be exceptionally vigilant to maintain the high standards for which La Rioja Alta is renowned. Cooler in style than the 2022, the 2023 is aromatic, with bright red-fruit purity on the nose and all the generous structure and complexity that members have come to expect from this wine.
