Aspen's Wine Cellar Flexes Without Apology
Aspen · American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Element 47’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Element 47 lands with the quiet confidence of someone who knows exactly what they have. It's thick, it's serious, and it covers Burgundy, Bordeaux, California, Rhône, Italy, and Champagne with the kind of depth that makes you want to cancel your next three dinner reservations and just stay here. This is a Grand Award list — has been since 1997 — and it shows on every page.
With somewhere between 1,200 and 1,800 selections, this is not a wine list you browse casually over bread service. Burgundy is the crown jewel: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanée, Armand Rousseau Chambertin, and Leroy Musigny all appear, which means the cellar has receipts going back decades. Bordeaux is equally stacked — Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin are present for those with both the budget and the occasion to justify them. California gets serious representation too, with Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Bond Estates, and Opus One covering the collector's wishlist, while Italy shows up strong via Giacomo Conterno Barolo Monfortino and Sassicaia. Champagne lovers should look hard at Krug Clos du Mesnil and Salon Blanc de Blancs before defaulting to the obvious stuff.
Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a real program, not an afterthought. The range means you can eat a full dinner here and drink well without committing to a bottle — which, given the price points on the deep cuts, is a legitimate strategy. We'd expect the glass pours to rotate with the cellar and the season, though there's no indication of a formal rotation program.
Opus One — $80+
In the context of a list where Pétrus and DRC set the ceiling, Opus One is practically a floor-level entry point. It's a recognizable, well-made Napa-Bordeaux blend that drinks above its weight in this room, and it won't require a second mortgage.
Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Most people at a table next to a DRC bottle aren't reaching for Grenache from the southern Rhône — and that's their loss. Rayas is one of the most singular wines made anywhere in France, and it tends to get overlooked here when the Burgundy column is doing its gravitational thing.
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon
It's iconic, it's California, and it is absolutely priced accordingly at a luxury Aspen resort. You're paying for the name as much as the wine, and at these markups, there are better ways to spend that money in this very same cellar.
E. Guigal La Landonne + Roast Duck
La Landonne is a single-vineyard Côte-Rôtie — inky, smoky, and built on Syrah with just enough northern Rhône iron to cut through duck fat without flinching. It's the kind of match that makes you put your fork down just to think about it.
The Bottom Line
Element 47 is the real deal — a proper wine destination wearing the clothes of a hotel restaurant. If you're in Aspen and serious about what's in your glass, this is where you go.
· Aspen · Seafood and Oyster Bar
Clark's Oyster Bar Aspen earns the Wild Card badge by doing something almost no oyster bar does: ditching the dry wine playbook entirely and building a focused, globally-sourced dessert wine list with real producers at fair prices. It's a bizarre and commendable choice. Come for the oysters, stay for the Madeira — just don't expect a Muscadet to wash them down.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Hotel dining
MOLLIE runs one of the most thoughtful compact lists in Aspen, and the all-by-the-glass format means you can drink your way through France without committing to a bottle. The pricing is fair for the altitude and the address, and the curation punches above a typical hotel program. If you're passing through and want a smart glass of wine without a thesis-length wine list, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Historic hotel dining
Hotel Jerome's Living Room list is a pleasant surprise in a market where hotel wine programs often coast on tourist ignorance and Famous Names. The selection is short but curated, with enough Old World intrigue — the Vajra Barbera, the Quintodecimo, the Bandol rosé — to reward the curious. Markups are real and Aspen-appropriate, so set your expectations accordingly. If you're staying at the hotel or catching a drink after a ski day, you'll drink well here without feeling insulted.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Italian
Mezzaluna's wine list is a missed opportunity in a town that could easily support something far more interesting. The markups are real — Santa Margherita at $64 and Joel Gott Cab at $60 are doing the heavy lifting on margin — and the selection never ventures beyond brands your parents recognize. If you're eating here, drink the Frescobaldi or the Ruffino Riserva and call it a night; don't expect the list to surprise you.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Seasonal New American
AspenX Beach Club is exactly what it advertises: a spectacle first, a wine program second. There's a sommelier on staff and the Champagne-and-rosé focus is at least intentional and coherent, but pricing at this address in this atmosphere is going to sting. Go for the experience, order something cold and bubbly, and don't stress about the list — that's clearly not the point.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Aspen · Japanese-Peruvian
Nobu Aspen's wine list won't win awards for depth or value, but it earns respect for its unexpected Australian backbone and a by-the-glass program that actually has range and structure. If you're dropping serious money at this address anyway, lean into the Swinney Grenache or the Domaine Laroche Chablis — someone cared enough to put them there.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
RH Yountville is a genuinely beautiful place to drink wine — the room earns that much on atmosphere alone, and the California-forward list will keep most guests happy without any friction. But in Yountville, where the competition includes some of the most serious wine programs in the country, 'happy without friction' isn't the same as memorable. Go for the experience, order confidently by region, and don't expect the list to surprise you.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Bakersfield · American
Yard House Bakersfield is a beer hall that happens to sell wine, and the list makes no effort to hide that. Markups are aggressive, selections are safe to the point of being anonymous, and the only reason to open a bottle here is if your table voted against another round of IPAs. If you're wine-focused, redirect your budget to the Jean-Luc Colombo Rosé by the glass and call it a night.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Yountville · American
The Kitchen at Priest Ranch is a one-winery show, and that's exactly the point. If you want to spend an evening exploring what a single Napa estate produces across whites, rosé, Zinfandel, Merlot, and multiple Cabernet expressions — including older large-format bottles — this is a genuinely interesting way to do it. Just don't come expecting breadth or outside discovery. Send a friend here if they love Priest Ranch or want to.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Proper
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
