After a lovely Valentine’s Day celebrating our love, we had the weekend to celebrate our other passion: wine! We chose to explore a new winery (for us) in Livermore, Rosa Fierro Cellars.
Rosa Fierro Cellars is a bit off the winery path, located near the Livermore airport. It is in an industrial park, sharing a building with several other wineries and a brewery. As we entered we were greeted by owner/winemaker Rosie Fierro and allowed a few minutes to soak in the surroundings. The walls were covered with photographic art, sharing space with wine competition awards. There were several seating spaces provided, which we always appreciate.
Rosie started us with their 2018 Unoaked Chardonnay, made from Tenuta Vineyard fruit, which was not at all buttery, with warm citrus notes. As we sipped, Rosie explained that she had pivoted from being a professional photographer to a winemaker. Some of her photographs on the walls captured the intricate patterns formed by the lees at the bottom of stainless steel wine tanks.
We next tasted their 2017 Oaked Chardonnay, which was pleasantly creamy yet not too buttery. A nice wine to pair with hard cheeses! Our true favorite was next: their non-vintage Primitivo. Rosie said that this was a blend of 2016 and 2017 wines, and we loved the nuanced cascade of berry flavors and lingering finish. This jumped to the top of our Take Home list. Another favorite was their 2016 Bittersweet Zinphony. So much fruit dancing across the tongue, we kept yearning for more.
Rosie then poured her 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, made from Thatcher Bay fruit. Gentle and soft, this is a great introduction to Cabs for those new to the varietal. Rosie then poured her only wine made from fruit grown outside of the Livermore Valley, her 2015 Merlot. We enjoyed the assertive fruit and solid finish. This wine will only get better as it cellars! We completed our tasting with their 2014 Quatro. Rosie explained that although this wine was blended from three wines, her grandfather felt that the name “Quatro” was just perfect for this wine. Who are we to argue with grandpa?
With our tasting complete, we purchased our wine and thanked Rosie for all of her time. Onward to our next tasting!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
