It’s been a long time, we shouldn’t have left you/without a strong wine to fête to.
It’s May already (almost June actually) and apologies are in order. First, to Eric B & Rakim, for the above travesty of a classic - and more importantly to you, member, for this club’s winterlong hibernation. But with the solstice fast approaching, and Rosé season in full swing, we’re back with two new shades
of summer to sample while you get some (theoretical in SF sometimes, tbh) sun. One is a local gem from a veteran winemaker’s passion project; the other a scarlet variant of the Portuguese Vinho Verde style: light, dry, low ABV, with a hint of effervescence. Both pair well with whatever weather, and we’ve got more coming through September.
Think Pink,
Fillmore Wine Team
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Chasing Ether Rose 3.1/1 2025 |
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Region/Country of Origin: Sonoma, California |
About the Winery: Chasing Ether is a new project from a man that has been quietly making top shelf Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for one of Napa's most historic wineries for over 2 decades, but is now producing wines from some amazing sites across California and showcasing some of the state's hidden treasures. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jon Berlin later moved to Cape Town for the surfing, before falling into wine at the turn of the century. After working his first harvest in the Western Cape, Jon quickly bounced around both hemispheres, working multiple harvests a year across South Africa, Australia, Napa, Sonoma Coast, and New Zealand. It was in New Zealand, where he earned a degree in winemaking and met his future wife Lily Oliver, daughter of Reginald Oliver, the owner/winemaker at El Molino. The plan had been to make wine in South Africa, but when Lily’s father passed away in 2005 the two of them moved back to Napa to take over the winery. While Jon would do some consulting winemaking on the side, for the next 20 years the focus would be on El Molino. Lily and Jon worked side by side, crafting expressive and distinctly Californian Pinot and Chardonnay from the Star Vineyard in Rutherford while also running the day-to-day operations. After leaving El Molino in 2024 Jon decided to focus all his energy on a new project with the goal of making affordable wines that were approachable out of the gate About the Winemaking: 100-year-old Mourvèdre and Carignan were harvested together at 21 and 19 Brix, respectively. Combined and whole cluster pressed to tank with overnight settling before being racked for cold fermentation in tank. The cold fermentation lasted 35 days before dryness was achieved. The wine was sulphured, racked with fine lees to tank, and kept cool for 3 months. The 110-year-old Palomino was harvested, and whole-cluster pressed to neutral French Burgundy barrels for fermentation. The wine stayed on primary lees until February, when one barrel was racked and blended with the Mourvèdre/Carignan blend in tank before being bottled on February 18th, 2026. 200 cases produced. Alcohol, 13%. Vegan-friendly. Tasting Notes: Lifted aromatics of freshly cut watermelon, guava, grapefruit pith, candied orange rind, and tarragon. Complex and refreshingly crisp with a lovely smooth viscosity and cut with a lasting impression on the finish. |
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Winemaker: Jon Berlin |
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Price per bottle / Price per case: $24.99 btl/ $294.37 cs
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Suggested Food Pairing: Fresh seafood such as citrus cured salmon, white gazpacho, and Toulouse sausage. |
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Quinta da Lixa Anjos Rose Vinho Verde 2024 |
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Region/Country of Origin: |
About the Winery: Owned and operated by the Meireles family from the town of Vila da Lixa since the mid-1980s, Quinta da Lixa began its life as a cellar-door vendor of what the locals lovingly called o tal vinho da Lixa – ‘that Lixa wine’. The family had great foresight in acquiring estate vineyard land early on and over the ensuing decades, ensuring an increasingly consistent source of high-quality and relatively low-cost estate-grown grapes. The 1990s saw the construction of a new winery devoted to transitioning the family business from bulk local-market sales to estate bottling. Another piece of the puzzle was completed in the early 2000s with the hiring of Carlos Teixeira, a local who had left town to make his name as one of Portugal’s most respected oenologists. He’s still at the helm of this beloved winery today, producing textbook Vinhos Verdes at an unimpeachable level of quality for the very modest price point. About the Winemaking: All wines are estate bottled and sustainably farmed using organic principles. Slightly trapped CO2 compliments the injection of clean CO2 at bottling, to make a vivacious, intentionally fresh and mildly spritzy wine. Tasting Notes: The floral exuberance of the aroma leads to a lively, refreshing palate with ripe berry and currant flavors. The slightly red Espadeiro grape (60%) brings strawberry, currant and cranberry nuances, blended with the heartier Touriga Nacional (40%) to make a complex and serious style of Vinho Verde Rose. |
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Winemaker: Carlos Teixeira |
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Price per bottle / Price per case: $13.99 btl / $165.32 cs |
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Suggested Food Pairing: Fried green tomatoes, grilled seafood, ceviche, citrus salad |
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