TNs--Weekend with the Webbers in Toronto

We get too few Berserkers’ visits to our shores. So I was very excited and pleased to welcome John and Kristin to Toronto. We met a couple years ago at FallTacular and they were here to start a week-long visit to Ontario and Quebec. On Friday night, John had booked at Actinolite and a suddenly-free me tagged along. Chef Justin was wonderfully attentive and at the top of his game and huge thanks to Merrin and Andrew (? I think/hope that’s right) for taking such good care of us. In particular, Chef did a special dish for me, celery root in walnut milk (as a substitute for the oyster dish I couldn’t have) which was one of the best things he’s made, IMHO.

2013 Alzinger Steinertal Riesling

For me, the big 5 are Prager, Hirtzberger, F.X. Pichler, Knoll and Alzinger, and they all have different characteristics (Prager’s precision and classicism, Hirtzberger’s structure and authority, Pichler’s intensity, Knoll’s richness). I’ve had the least amount of Alzinger but it has always shown me a level of refinement that is my benchmark for the house. No different here, this combined lemon, lime and apple peel in a very lithe-but-gentle frame and was a joy to drink, and already quite open just 5 years out.

2015 Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot

I think this was the last year Jamie pulled from Stagecoach and Campbell Ranch for this cuvee. If so, this last was the best. Firm presence of bright strawberry and just-sweet cherry fruit on the bouquet and palate, this is a happy wine that wants to engage with and be in your mouth. Very nice, no particular rush but certainly fine to start drinking now.

2016 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Rose de Pinot Noir

Found this pretty on Anthony Yambor’s shelf in his store in Atlanta and snapped it up. Pink grapefruit, unripe pomegranate and tinge of wild strawberry aromatics and replays with gentle but firm acidity makes for a rose that is, as many of his wines are, a step above the norm. Delightful in its muted and controlled exuberance, almost a tease


On Saturday, after Souvlaki lunch at Astoria, it was off to one of my faves in the city, Mengrai Thai. Allen, Dave and the rest of the team there took fine care of us (we were joined by Tran Bronstein and Jay Shampur) and Chef Sasi was at the absolute top of her game with pleased moans and noises being made about everything from the signature #54 chicken to the tilapia with peppercorn and tamarind to the lamb curry and my crispy beef.


2006 Zind-Humbrecht Heimbourg Ries

Very nice bring indeed from Jay, shows a deep burnished yellow. Good dollop of custard swirls up the glass, along with touches of mango and apple. To taste, it has a nice creamy feel and is not too, too sweet at all. Goes very well with the appetizers, but I’m glad we had it tonight as I wouldn’t give it (at least this bottle) more than another 2 years. Good wine here.

2011 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Ries

The first of two Donnhoffs the Webbers brought with them. Like the 15s (for me), this is a great vintage for accessibility and both of these were on fire. The Oberhauser presents with loads of apple crisp (cinnamon dusting and all) and a sneaky sweet lime note underneath. It is quite sweet but also perfectly fresh and very much a Donnhoff. Yum

2011 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Ries

My slightly preferred of the two, this adds a very small petrol note and some length and complexity at the cost of some of the bright sweetness of the Oberhauser. There is more frame and “maturity” in terms of presence and authority here. Really fine.

2011 Ceritas Martin Ray Chard

My contribution, and with the food I guessed it would be a square peg in a round hole, but I did want to find out, and I did want to open it. Still laser precision on nose and tongue here, lemondrop, green apple and crushed mineral. What has changed is that any searing level of acidity has been completely absorbed and any oak has now been fully integrated. I rarely have Santa Cruz-sourced chard this old and this is the argument for patience. It was lovelylicious…but very much a square peg in a round hole.

1996 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon

Since Tran was with us, I knew I didn’t have to worry about dessert Nevertheless, very generous of him to offer this. There’s a combination of sort of nougat, custard cream and notions of fennel and vanilla that all have understated harmony. It’s very hard to describe a Moulin Touchais until you’ve had one. Still, I told Tran this would be too young and indeed it was. The (usual) 10 more years of bottle age will do this a great deal of good. I was happy to try this at an early stage to see the potential, for sure.

As I was letting John and Kristin off, I said this and meant it with all of my being----I love FallTacular because I get to see 150 friends at once. I hate FallTacular because I don’t get to spend real time with any of them…there are so many people to see and so many wines to sample. This sort of visit? It drives me. I loved my time with them and hope to replicate it with a visit to Texas sometime soon.

Kwa Heri,

Mike

Mike, next time you are in town remind me to open an older Alzinger. I still have a fair bit from 1998 and a recent GV was stunning.

Wow great notes! Definitely come down to San Antonio. We throw good parties.

As usual, I must intercede in Michael’s thread with my impeccable photojournalistic skills and explain and show to everyone what really happened. At least on Saturday night. 'Tis true, John and Kristin Webber were possessed of temporary insanity and chose to leave sunny San Antonio, Texas for the, er, um, tropical paradise that is Toronto, Canada for a weekend before heading over to Montreal and Quebec City. Board members Mike Grammer, Jay Shampur and myself aka the Toronto Wine Elitist Cabal ™ headed over to join them at one of our favorite places, Mengral Thai. Let’s start with the wines:

ZIND-HUMBRECHT 2006 HEIMBOURG RIESLING – Deep straw gold. Maderization gives this wine a complex smoke and lemon drop nose. On the palate, more smoke mixes with crystalline texture and lemon drop flavors. Fascinating complex wine.

DONHOFF 2011 OBERHAUSER BRUCKE RIESLING SPATLESE – OMFG. Not one but two Donhoffs generously brought up all the way from San Antonio, Texas to Toronto. Light straw gold in color. Fragrant and sweet baked apple. Extremely clean yet satisyingly rich. Amazing wine that is somehow succeeded by…

DONHOFF 2011 NIEDERHAUSER HERMANNSHOHLE RIESLING SPATLESE – Same color as above. Slight petrol on the nose. Less sweet than the Oberhauser but far more stunning in its texture, minerality and flavor. Clean as a whistle. Michael remarked on its purity. Anyone who complains that sweet Riesling hides the terroir it came from has only had inferior German Rieslings. These were both stunning. Only J.J. Prum has ever come close for me. How the LCBO keeps missing out on these is beyond me.

CERITAS 2011 PETER MARTIN RAY VINEYARDS CHARDONNAY – Cream on teh beautiful nose. Light body and creamy apple and lemon drop flavors with a touch of phenolic bitterness on the end that became more distracting the more I drank.

MOULIN TOUCHAIS 1996 COTEAUX DU LAYON – The wine was corky when opened but not corked itself, though I checked with Mike and Jay to be sure. Even as that blew off in the glass, there was still an amazing blend of quince, lemon drop, honeysuckle and slight toffee flavors. The amazing thing with the wine, howeve, was the sheer verve. Energetic to the point where it threatens to blow up in the palate. You could’ve said this was bottled in 2016 and not 1996 and I’d believe it but for the corkiness giving it away. Really, this is the Donhoff of Chenin Blanc. Unbelievable. I took the leftovers home to hold in the fridge as Mike told me this will only get better in the days to come.

We all chose the Prix Fixe menu with the intention of sharing the mains. The meal began with Mengral Thai’s famous appetizer platter: a crispy prawn, a chicken satay skewer, a golden flower dumpling and green mango salad.

Following was their equally famous second course platter of Golden Thai Pumpkin Soup

and Crispy Morning Glory, a unique spinach tempura.

Our mains consisted of the Crispy Beef,

Braised Curry Lamb with Peach,

Tiliapia with Peppercorn Tamarind Sauce,

and two Green Curry Chickens.

For dessert, we had the Lemongrass Creme Brulée,

and the Mango and Pineapple cheesecakes.

We would like to thank Mengral Thai’s owner Alan and his part Chef Sasi and our server David for taking care of us the whole night and showing the Webber’s some Canadian hospitality.

I would like to stop by this thread and implore my fellow Berserkers to PM Mike if you are going to be in Toronto. I will just say the care and time we received from Mike was far an above what I would expect from my own immediate family. We left Toronto with a local’s sense for the place and some wonderful new friends like Jay and Tran (the back-and-forth between these 2 will keep a smile on your face). 3 nights is not enough for Toronto and we look forward to going back with new lighter suitcases so we can share more wines with our friends.

On day 3, Kris and I went out to wine country and I can report the future is bright for the Beamsville Bench VQA. Mike recommended Hidden Bench and Westcott Vineyards and they certainly showed us that the region has strong promise for both bubbles and pinot noir. They also make wonderful pit stops on the way to see Niagara Falls.

Tips: If you want a table at Alo, it proved harder than getting a table at Noma. You must be on the system the second tables open and will still be very lucky for a Friday/Saturday table. No soup for us this time, but Actinolite was a wonderful substitute.

We stayed in an Airbnb near the Drake Hotel and this was a great base of operations. The close by (walking distance) Trinity Bellwoods area would also be an excellent choice.

Yes, yes, but what did you think of the wines, jefe?

The two of you were a delight to drive around, my only regret being that I had forgotten William Ashley had moved and so could not give Kristin the chance to swoon in our top-end Chinaware shop. Next time!

Glad the Niagara portion went well, hope you enjoyed yourselves in Quebec also.

Mike

Good going Mike. He is a great host for sure. Sounds like a fun night.