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Wine Wednesday: Say What?, 2015 Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino

As you may know, since the very beginning the girl & the fig has offered an exclusively “Rhône-alone” wine list.

We’ve always loved that featuring unique Rhône wines gives us an opportunity to begin a conversation with our guests, perhaps introduce them to something new, as well as to present talented and innovative producers we believe in.

This week: Say What?, 2015 Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino

Meet the owner of Eaglepoint Ranch:

One of the most beautiful ranches and vineyards in Mendocino County straddles 1255 acres 1800 feet above Ukiah Valley. Casey Hartlip has been the caretaker of Eaglepoint Ranch up Mill Creek Road since the 1970s. He is one of the most respected grapegrowers in the business.

Hartlip, tall and lanky, affably manages the ranch with its vineyards and olive trees and makes several varietals under the Eaglepoint Ranch brand. He is also known as “Commander Coro” for the Mendocino wines that have captured the best of a cooperative “appellation controllee” brand of red wine made by a dozen wineries in Mendocino-- and for the tattoo of the Coro symbol on his bicep. Source

Tasting Notes:

Counoise works as a blending grape because it adds a black pepper and floral note, along with high acidity, which gives the mostly Grenache based wines additional lift. Is also a good grape to blend with Mourvedre as it can add plum and fresh strawberry characteristics. Source

Pairings:

At the girl & the fig we’d recommend pairing Say What?, 2015 Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino with grass-fed steak tartare (traditional with raw egg, caperberries, lavender sea salt, toast), sonoma mountain beef burger (grilled onions, house-made pickles, frites) and hard cheeses.