Barolo, Brunello, and no apologies
Downtown · Aspen · Italian / Alpine · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 27, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Aosta’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Aosta lands like a heavyweight — 300 to 500 bottles deep, anchored in Italy but not afraid to wander into Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Napa hills. This is not a list someone threw together to fill a page. Whoever built this cared, and it shows from the first scan.
The Italian spine is the real story here: Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Produttori del Barbaresco, and Gaja covering the Piedmont end, with Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri holding down Brunello. Super Tuscans get their due — Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello all show up — and the Valle d'Aosta producers like Les Crêtes and Grosjean are a smart, thematic nod to the restaurant's Alpine identity that most guests will walk right past. The California contingent — Opus One, Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate — reads more like trophy bait for the Aspen crowd than a genuine curatorial choice, but it's hard to argue those bottles don't belong in a room this serious. Burgundy and Bordeaux round things out without ever stealing the spotlight from the Italians.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is genuinely impressive and puts Aosta well above the typical restaurant pour game. At $15 to $30 a glass, you're paying Aspen prices, full stop — but you're also getting access to a program that clearly rotates thoughtfully rather than just pushing through the cheapest stuff. If you're not committing to a bottle, this is one of the better glass programs in town.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco — $15-$30/glass
Produttori is a cooperative that punches absurdly above its price point — serious Nebbiolo, real Barbaresco structure, and it consistently costs less than the marquee names without giving much up. If it's on the glass list, it's the move.
Grosjean Valle d'Aosta
Most tables here are scanning for the Gaja or the Biondi-Santi and never bother with the Valle d'Aosta section. Grosjean makes high-altitude, mountain-driven wines that actually match the restaurant's Alpine concept perfectly — and they're nowhere near as expensive as the Piedmontese heavyweights sitting next to them.
Screaming Eagle
Screaming Eagle on a wine list in Aspen is a status signal, not a recommendation. You're paying for the name and the flex, not for a better drinking experience than a dozen other bottles on this list at a fraction of the price. Save it for someone else's expense account.
Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Asti + Braised Alpine meat dish
Conterno's Barbera has the acidity to cut through rich, slow-cooked meat and enough fruit to stay lively through the whole plate — it's the kind of pairing that feels inevitable once you taste it together, and it won't require a second mortgage the way the Barolo will.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Aosta is the real thing — a deep, Italy-first list with genuine regional character and enough serious bottles to keep wine people busy for multiple visits. Markups are Aspen-steep, so come with a strategy, but this is absolutely a list worth making the trip for.
Downtown · Aspen · Cafe / Wine-Friendly
This is a Wild Card in the truest sense — a museum rooftop café with no sommelier and steep markups that still manages to stock Lapierre, William Fevre Grand Cru, and Pierre Peters. The prices will get you, but the list itself deserves credit. Come for the view, stay for the Gruner.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / The Little Nell · Aspen · Wine Bar / Lounge
Element 47 is the rare mountain resort wine program that could hold its own in any major city — 3,300 labels, proper storage, knowledgeable staff, and glassware that actually fits the wine. Prices are high because Aspen is high, but if you're going to spend serious money on a bottle somewhere, this is a place that respects the investment.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Aspen · Bar / Mexican
Las Montañas is the rare bar where the wine list deserves more attention than the cocktail menu — a sommelier-curated, California-forward selection with enough Pacific Northwest surprises to keep things interesting. Aspen markups are what they are, but the quality and intentionality here are real.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown · Aspen · Upscale Italian (Milanese café and restaurant)
Sant Ambroeus Aspen is a genuinely good Italian wine program wearing a resort-town price tag — the producers are real, the Franciacorta selection alone is worth your attention, and the staff actually knows what's on the list. Just go in knowing you're paying Aspen rates for everything, and let that Bellavista do its thing.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Lounge / Mediterranean
Snow Lodge delivers exactly what a St. Regis resort lounge should: proper glassware, knowledgeable staff, and a list that won't embarrass anyone. Just don't come looking for discovery — this list is built for comfort, and the markups reflect the altitude in more ways than one.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Mountain American / Hotel Restaurant
Velvet Buck is a reliable, well-run hotel wine program doing exactly what a St. Regis in Aspen is supposed to do — impress people without surprising them. If you're after adventure, look elsewhere; if you're after a great glass of Far Niente after a day on the mountain, you're in the right place.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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