Tinhorn Creek and Miradoro Restaurant in part VIII

As we get to Miradoro Restaurant at Tinhorn Creek for dinner, we notice one thing we hadn't expected: it's so windy we have to walk like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in order to not get blown over. We are hoping to sit outside so we can enjoy the view, and we are lucky to get the last table on the side of the restaurant that is somewhat sheltered from the wind. This is the view we were hoping to enjoy:

So yeah, it's worth a little bit of wind.

For our wine choice, we decide to splurge, and go deep, deep, deep into their library for this little gem:

2004 Oldfield's Collection Syrah. Their first vintage of Syrah, only 40 cases produced. One very disappointing thing about this wine: we had their last bottle. We will never, ever, get to enjoy this again, and enjoy it we did.

It started like a lot of Syrah; berries and pepper on the nose and palate. The decade in the bottle smoothed it out beautifully and added some meaty, chewy characteristics. It was a truly sublime bottle of wine, the best Syrah I have ever tasted. 95.

Our entire dinner was fantastic, and the service was out of this world. We literally had FOUR servers taking turns making sure our wine and water glasses were always full and we had everything we needed.

I cannot recommend Miradoro highly enough; it has become a "must-do" for every visit to this area.

We returned to Tinhorn Creek the next morning to taste their wines; the tasting room was closed by the time we arrived for dinner the previous evening.

On a related note, I'm confused by the hours of a lot of the tasting rooms. There is one (Nk'mip if I recall) that is open 9-5. Who the heck is tasting wine at 9 AM?? Why not have them open 11-7 or 12-8? Seems like there would be a lot more wine tasting business at 7 PM than 9-10 AM. Anyway, I digress.

No tasting fee at Tinhorn's tasting room. One characteristic of most Tinhorn wines is that they are already aged for you; they hold them longer than a lot of wineries. For example, their reserve Merlot is from 2010.



2012 Chardonnay ($18.99)

Lightly oaked (just two months), it lacks the big buttery flavors I am really drawn to in a BC Chardonnay, but it's fruity, smooth, and very nice. A bit more pineapple than you often see in a Chardonnay. I am all for pineapple. 88.





2013 Gewurtztraminer ($16.99)

Beautiful floral nose, with pineapple and lychee as well. Slightly off-dry. Pineapple, spice and a touch of grapefruit on the palate. 87.









2013 Oldfield Series 2 Bench Rosé ($22.99)

100% Cabernet Franc. Bone dry with notes of strawberry and rhubarb on the nose and they continue through to the palate, where they are nicely joined by some raspberry. 85.







2010 Oldfield Series Merlot ($29.99)

Big berry notes on the nose, with a hint of coffee and chocolate. Tannins are big and chewy; drinking nicely now but will certainly improve greatly with a few more years in the bottle. Food friendly; would pair well with big red meats or stew. 85.






2011 Merlot ($19.99)

Interesting comparison to it's big brother above; less complex and less aging potential, but I actually preferred this one right now. Also less dependent on food; drinking nicely right out of the bottle. 86.








2010 Oldfield Series 2Bench Red ($29.99)

45% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Plums, mint and berries on the nose and palate. Full-bodied and already drinking well; I can only imagine how good it will be in 5 years. Big, bold, and an excellent value at this price point. 90.





As always, Tinhorn delivers high quality wine and excellent bang for your buck. I'd say the Oldfield Series is underpriced by $5-$10 compared to what you get from a lot of other BC wineries. Nobody tell Sandra I said that :-)