Malone's Classic
Steak-Friendly Pours Without the Sticker Shock
Lexington · Lexington · American Steakhouse
Reviewed March 28, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
The wine list at Malone's reads like a greatest hits album from the mid-2000s — Cakebread, Meiomi, Oyster Bay, Moët. You know every name on this list, which is either comforting or a little predictable depending on your mood. What surprises you is how reasonable the prices are for a sit-down steakhouse in Lexington.
Selection Deep Dive
The list pulls from California (heavily), with Napa and Sonoma doing most of the work on the red side. There's an international nod to New Zealand, Italy, France, and Germany, though none of those regions get much depth — it's one or two reps at most. Don't come looking for Burgundy, Barolo, or anything that requires a backstory. This is a list built for the table that wants a familiar bottle with a prime rib without having to think too hard, and it does exactly that job.
By the Glass
Eighteen by-the-glass options is a solid count for a steakhouse, spanning from budget-friendly Canyon Road at $8 to more respectable pours like Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay at $16. The range runs white, red, rosé, and sparkling, which covers the table well. Rotation appears minimal — this feels like a set list that doesn't change much season to season.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay — $12/glass
At $12 a glass for KJ Chard, you're paying just a hair above retail-by-the-glass math. It's a known crowd-pleaser, well-made, and undercuts what most comparable steakhouses would charge by $4-6 easily.
The Seeker Riesling
Nobody orders Riesling at a steakhouse, which is exactly why you should. At $9 a glass, this Mosel pour cuts through a rich prime rib with its natural acidity in a way that Chardonnay simply can't. It's the most interesting white on the list and almost nobody touches it.
Murphy-Goode Pinot Noir
At $9 a glass it doesn't sound bad until you realize retail is around $18 — that's roughly a 50% markup on a wine that punches well below the weight of what a steakhouse red should be. For a couple bucks more, Meiomi Pinot Noir is a meaningfully better glass.
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay + Prime Rib
The Sonoma-Cutrer brings enough oak and body to hold up to the richness of prime rib without getting steamrolled. It's a counter-intuitive move — most people reach for a Cab — but the creamy texture and stone fruit work well against that fatty, slow-roasted cut.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Malone's Classic won't win any points for adventurousness, but the pricing is genuinely fair and the glass count is high enough to keep a table happy. If you're in Lexington for a steak and don't want to gamble on the wine, this is a safe and honest bet.
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