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Miraflores Winery Review

Miraflores Winery Review

Address: 2120 Four Springs Trail Placerville,California 95667.
Phone Number: 530-647-8505
Tasting Hours: 10:00-5:00 and by appt.

Region: Sierra Foothills AVA, El Dorado County, El Dorado AVA, California
Reviewer: Yvonne Kochanowski
Review Date: 4/3/2012
Reviewer: Yvonne Kochanowski
Rating: 5

The Review

Driving along the private road leading to the vines and wine at Miraflores is like entering a fine estate or personal park. Towering trees dot the landscape and patches of flowers spring up in unexpected places. But round a corner, and you see it, the tasting room set on top of the hill among acres of grapes. For a moment, you believe you’ve been transported to the south of France or a Tuscan hilltop.

The Place: &nbspWith a spacious patio area overlooking the vineyards at this eastern edge of the Pleasant Valley region, the tasting room and its adjacent outdoor seating areas invite you to explore and enjoy. Make sure you read one of the fliers about the history of the building materials for the tasting room! Constructed from historical salvaged wood, Mediterranean stone, and custom-made and found treasures by craftspeople flown in from around the world, the winery building itself is a marvel. Lean up against the long wooden tasting bar and you can almost hear the stories of its ship dock past.

The Experience: &nbspTasting room staff offers all of the current wines available as pours. Miraflores has frequent food events, live music, cooking classes, and special art exhibits. Popular with classic car clubs and other groups, it’s a good idea to check on their website to see what’s happening on any particular weekend so you know what to expect.

The Wines: &nbspMiraflores is best known for its Zinfandels, Syrahs, and Petite Sirahs, and many people find their dessert wines to be very appealing, particularly the refillable bottles of Black Muscat. The Petite Sirahs have a lighter touch than is common from other winemakers in the area. The grapes cover terrain that has significant changes in elevation, with the Cabernet Sauvignon getting plenty of sun at the top of the hill just shy of 3,000 feet. Blends are not part of the winery’s repertoire.

The People: &nbspEveryone here is friendly, from the tasting room staff to the cellar rats. Many are veterans of other wineries in the area, and they can provide accurate descriptions of how their wines compare. Their knowledgeable and classy service extends the elegant feeling that invites you to spend some peaceful time on the covered or open patio areas admiring the vines.

Insider’s Tip: &nbspNo expense was spared in building the tasting room and separate wine production facility, and the stories behind the building materials make this facility unique. The large park-like setting is home to wildlife, and efforts have been made to maintain natural habitats, so it’s not unusual to see deer grazing outside the fenced vines. The winemaker works for other wineries in the area, so there may be some strong similarities noted in the styles of wines found here when compared to others.