Vinous

• By Antonio Galloni
  2004 Barolo: The Cream Rises to The Top (May 2015), 5/1/2015 (link)

  (Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera Di La Morra) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Antonio Galloni
  2004 Barolo: The Cream Rises to The Top (May 2015), 5/1/2015 (link)

  (Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera Di La Morra) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Antonio Galloni
  A First Look at the 2004 Barolos (Dec 2007) (link)

  (Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Stephen Tanzer
  November/December 2007, IWC Issue #135 (link)

  (Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  1/24/2013 (link) 94 points

  (Bruno Giacosa Barolo Vigna Croera di La Morra) Medium dark red violet color; appealing, dried berry, roses, tar nose; very flavorful, tight, dried berry, anise, tar, licorice palate; needs 6-7 years; long finish (decanted for 90 minutes)

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  1/24/2008 (link)

  (GIACOSA La Morra Barolo CROERA) Giacosa 2004 Barolo La Morra Dear Friends, This has been the toughest wine in Piedmont to acquire from the 2004 Barolo vintage and even the tried and true local retailers in Alba can’t seem to come up with a single bottle. It is the enigma La Morra Barolo from Giacosa and, say what you will, as far as rarity and collectability, this is the top of the mountain in 2004. Its secondary value appears to be limitless as well - it‘s the first vintage of this wine and it’s 2004 - scores appear to be irrelevant. When Bruno Giacosa decided to make a new Barolo with his signature feminine style, his goal was to make a Red Label Riserva with elegance, subtlety and power akin to his Asili Riserva in Barbaresco. In the past, his Barolo Riserva style has leaned toward masculine strength - the peak coming with the late 1970s/1980s/early 1990s series of Collina Rionda (one of the wine-world's most classic runs and a vertical I would place in the top 10-20 of greatest single site expressions of the last half century) - this time he wanted to try something different and the opposite expression would be found in the highest elevations of the Margaux of Piedmont - La Morra. He had his eyes on a very specific site for a long time and when Giacosa was finally able to convince the past owners to sell, he knew this vineyard would produce something unique and very special - where the mineral tone and sultry tannins would dominate, not brute strength. What makes this wine even more collectable is that he intends to produce it only 2-3 times per decade or when the vintage dictates. The site is so cold, the Nebbiolo ripens very slowly and it takes a vintage like 2004 to get the perfect balance he is looking for. ” This first example of 2004 La Morra fruit lies somewhere between his regular white label wine and a red label. For now, there is just one wine with a designation of “Vigna Croera” and not a regular Barolo or Riserva - sort of in the middle. With that in mind, it is his most expensive and limited regular wine (the opposite of what consumers were hoping for). For those of you that like to start verticals or have access to the world’s most difficult wines to obtain, here you go... There are only 200 bottles of this wine for the entire US market, including restaurants (as opposed to over 20,000 bottles of something like 2005 Latour) so the rarity goes without saying. I’ve seen prices as low as $195 on this wine (in Zurich) and as high as $350 (in Italy) but as soon as I’ve gone back to inquire, the scattered bottles were already gone. What I can offer is the finest provenance available on a wine that is sure to be grey marketed and counterfeited over the years - there’s only one debut vintage and here it is.... ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2004 Giacosa Barolo “Vigna Croera” La Morra Please give us your maximum number and we will allocate accordingly Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy5780