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 →
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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.
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
Eagle Ranch · Vail · American
The Wild Sage is your dependable neighborhood spot in Eagle Ranch — the wine list won't blow your mind, but it won't embarrass you at dinner either. Watch the markups on the top-shelf Napa bottles and stick to the mid-range, and you'll be fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Waterfront · Traverse City · American
Warehouse Kitchen + Cork won't win any awards for depth or ambition, but it plays its hand honestly — fair prices, solid local representation, and a full by-the-glass program that respects your wallet. If you're in Traverse City and want a glass of something local with a water view, this works.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West Truckee · Truckee · American
Sunnyside is a casual lodge restaurant wearing a serious wine list under its flannel — the markup is steep and it won't win any awards for staff expertise, but the producer lineup is legitimately impressive for where you're sitting. If you're already at the lake, this is absolutely worth ordering a real bottle.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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