Burgundy royalty above Grand Central
Midtown · New York · French
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Centurion arrives like a statement — thick, deliberate, and anchored by names that belong in a private cellar, not a restaurant tucked above a train station. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château Pétrus, Domaine Leroy — this is not a list assembled casually. Wine Spectator handed them a Best of Award of Excellence in 2025 and the program earns it on sight.
The 400–600 bottle list leans hard into France — Burgundy and Bordeaux are the twin pillars, with depth that goes well beyond the obvious appellations. Champagne holds its own with Krug Grande Cuvée and Bollinger anchoring a serious category, while Italy shows up credibly with Sassicaia and Tignanello for those who want to stray from the Loire. California makes a respectable appearance via Kistler Vineyards and Opus One, though this is clearly not the list's spiritual home. What's notable is the curatorial intent: every region here feels deliberate, not padding.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a generous pour program for a room operating at this level, with prices running $18–$45. At the top end you're getting access to producers — like Domaine Faiveley and Bollinger — that most restaurants would never risk opening by the glass. Rotation cadence is unclear, but with sommeliers Robert Longo and Ralph Dorcin running the floor, expect the glass list to get some actual attention.
Domaine Faiveley Burgundy — $18–$45 by the glass
Faiveley is a serious Burgundy house that often gets overshadowed by the DRC conversation — but their wines consistently punch above their price point. By-the-glass access to Faiveley at this price range is one of the smarter moves on this list.
Tignanello
Most tables here are laser-focused on Burgundy and Bordeaux, which means the Italian section gets slept on. Tignanello — the Tuscan blend that helped define Super Tuscans — is exactly the kind of wine that deserves attention on a French-forward list, and the crowd ignoring it means you might actually get a conversation going with the sommelier about it.
Opus One
Opus One is a reliable crowd-pleaser with name recognition that restaurants love to mark up accordingly. At a room operating at this price tier, you're almost certainly paying a significant premium for the label. The Bordeaux section on this same list offers more interesting drinking for the money — go there instead.
Château Margaux + Rack of lamb
Château Margaux's elegance and dark fruit structure is the textbook match for a properly prepared rack of lamb — enough weight to stand up to the meat, enough finesse not to bulldoze it. At Centurion, with French technique in the kitchen, this pairing is about as dialed in as it gets.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Centurion is the kind of wine program that justifies the Midtown price tag if you come in with clear eyes about what you're paying for. If you're serious about Burgundy or Bordeaux and want a room that can actually talk to you about the list, this is the play.
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Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
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Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Joelle's isn't trying to be a wine destination — it's a French bistro that takes its wine list seriously enough to match the food, and that's exactly what it delivers. If you're eating here and drinking French, you'll leave satisfied.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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The Marigold Club is Houston's most interesting new wine room for anyone who thinks Champagne is a food group and France is the only country that matters — in the best possible way. Go on a Sunday, order the Delamotte, eat the Duck Wellington, and tip generously.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Proper
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