Eleven Contemporary Kitchen

Carricante Bianco Porticello, Tenuta di Castellaro 2020 — null

Volcanic Sicilian whites from Etna's eastern slopes are criminally underordered at upscale restaurants — people pass right over them for French or Californian options. This Carricante has the kind of mineral tension and saline edge that makes it a natural match for Eleven's seafood-forward seasonal dishes, and it almost always comes in under what a comparable Burgundy or white Burgundy would cost.

Alfred Merkelbach 'Ürzinger Würzgarten' Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 1995/1999

Most diners see 'Kabinett' and think entry-level — and in most contexts they're right. But Merkelbach is a tiny, old-school Mosel estate making age-worthy wines from one of the valley's great vineyard sites, and a 25-plus-year-old Kabinett with proper storage is a completely different animal than what you'd find in a retail shop. This is the kind of bottle you come to Eleven specifically to drink.

Without full pricing data we're not going to point fingers at a specific bottle, but at a $$$$-tier Strip District restaurant with this much ambition, the safe bets — your Napa Cabs, your crowd-pleasing Pinot Noirs — are almost certainly carrying the steepest markups. The list rewards curiosity: the more obscure the pick, the better the value tends to be.

2020 Oremus 'Mandolas' Tokaji Dry + House-made charcuterie

A dry Furmint from Tokaji has this savory, oxidative edge — think apricot skin and beeswax with real acidity — that cuts through rich cured meats and fat in a way that most white wines can't. It's an unexpected pairing that feels inevitable once you try it, and it's exactly the kind of left-field call the Eleven wine program seems built to encourage.