<a target="_blank" href="http://www.barberians.com/">Barberian’s Steak House</a>7 Elm St.M5G 1H1 Toronto, Canada (416) 597-0335Food:Caesar Salad16 oz. Rib Steak Filet Mignon wrapped in baconCheesecakeWines:<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 NV Henry of Pelham Cuvée
 Catharine Brut
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2004 Cave Spring Cellars
 Chardonnay CSV</td><td>90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 Closson Chase Pinot Noir
 Niagara-on-the-Lake&nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>Barberian’s may very well be Toronto's most famous steakhouse. While other Toronto steakhouses also offer wonderful
quality in their dry and wet aged beef choices, it’s impossible to argue with
the quality of Barberian’s wine list, one of the most impressive anywhere in
the world. I’m not exaggerating: what else can you say about a wine list that
boasts eleven different vintages of Harlan Estate and another eleven of Grange? And
there are actually more vintages of each listed, but that are currently out of
stock. The Old&nbsp;World&nbsp;gets more than just fair representation too: ten
different bottlings of Bruno Giacosa wines, ten vintages of Solaia and a
treasure trove of great French wines make you want to come to Barberian’s&nbsp;just
to drink the night away. Fact is, the place has been open since 1959, and in a
city were the death rate of restaurants is close to 50% in the first three
years, that tells you Barberian’s has had a lot of loyal fans and customers
over the years. When living in Toronto
during my teen years&nbsp;I used to come here often with my parents, but&nbsp;hadn't&nbsp;been back in some time. Still, the place has remained essentially unchanged, a
time warp into the Toronto
of days long gone by.The food itself is steakhouse-typical:
lots of meat cuts you expect (rib, filet mignon, porterhouse), plus the
steakhouse typical seafood (shrimp cocktail, tuna steak), dishes (surf ‘n turf,
lamb, vegetable sides) and desserts. No flights of fancy and no fashionable
ingredients, just solid all-round, no frills cooking. My Caesar salad was crisp
and refreshing, though anchovy-less. The rib was perfectly cooked, but my
specific piece (very marbled when still raw) was rather fatty, which may not be
to everyone’s taste. The filet mignon might be a better choice for those who
like somewhat leaner cuts of beef.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1423962559544-steaks+-+Copy.JPG"> The wine list is so huge, so
deep and so varied that it is impossible to get through and still talk to your
guests at the dinner table. Though there were literally hundreds of wines I
would have liked to try, I stuck with Canadian wines (and specifically Ontario’s) given that
it’s rare to find older vintages of these in restaurants. Henry of Pelham’s Cuvée Catharine Brut is probably Ontario’s best sparkling
wine; at the very least, it’s the most consistent. This particular bottling had
been disgorged three years prior after having spent 36 months on its lees, and
had been left purposely in Barberian’s cellar to develop further. Buttered
toast and caramel nuances dominate overall, but floral nuances and vibrant
acids have kept this beauty fresh and lively. Like is often the case with New
World sparklers, it lacks the multilayered complexity of the world’s best
bubblies, but this is an extremely impressive bottling from a region in which
sparkling wine production was essentially an afterthought only fifteen years
ago. And it makes perfect sense to try serious sparkling wine production in Ontario’s cool climate.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1423962576630-image2.JPG"> That same cool climate
explains why Ontario
makes world class Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. I had just
finished tasting through about 80 Rieslings the previous day, so I opted for
the latter two grapes at dinner. The 2004
Cave Spring Chardonnay CSV has held up remarkably well and is still
amazingly youthful, with at least a decade of life ahead of it. Now just think
about how many New World chardonnays you can
really say that about! Back then, Cave Spring’s use of oak was slightly more
heavy-handed than it is today, and this wine’s tropical fruit aromas and
flavors are dominated by oak-derived notes of peanut brittle and&nbsp;spices. The long, vibrant finish also has noteworthy
tannic bite, but the wine comes across as chewy and rich, not bitter or
astringent. It is a major accomplishment from what is arguably one of Canada’s top
five wineries. But the absolute star of the night was the remarkable 2007&nbsp;Closson Chase Pinot Noir
Niagara-on-the-Lakeshore, another testament to just how well Ontario wines
can age. This might well have been the best Pinot Noir I have ever tasted from Canada with a little bottle age, a wine of impeccable
balance and purity. The aromas and flavors of juicy ripe blueberry, black
cherry, and sweet spices are typically New World
in style, but there’s none of the candied fruitiness of many such wines. A lovely
floral finish provides lift and further clarity. Eight years out, it’s an
amazing wine given that it’s an essentially entry-level bottling, made in a
very hot year and from a rather warm site. To say I was blown away is not
overstating my case. 





























My evening at Barberian’s was
a winner from start to finish. Owner Aaron Barberian is polite and gracious,
and his two guest star sommeliers of the evening, Will Preud’homme MS and Peter
Boyd are about as good as it gets in Canada. Well
done!--Ian D'Agata

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