Molecular magic meets serious French bottles
Washington · Washington · Spanish · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 11, 2026
Wingman Metrics
When your meal starts with a gin and tonic served as a ravioli, the wine list better keep up — and at Minibar, it largely does. The list is tight at 150-200 bottles, but the names on it read like a greatest-hits album of French and Spanish fine wine. This is a destination tasting menu first and a wine program second, and the list knows it.
France dominates, which tracks with the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence the restaurant has held since 2014. You'll find heavy-hitters like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Henri Jayer, Domaine Leflaive, and Château Pétrus sharing space with Spanish royalty — Vega Sicilia and Álvaro Palacios's L'Ermita among them. Krug anchors the Champagne section, which feels right for a meal this theatrical. The list isn't wide, but every slot earns its place; there's no filler here, just intentional choices built around the tasting menu format.
With 10-15 glass pours, the by-the-glass program is modest but curated — expect options that rotate to complement whatever version of the tasting menu is running. The pairing program at $150-$250 per person is where this list really lives; ordering by the glass feels like bringing a pocket knife to a dinner where everyone else has a chef's knife.
Krug Champagne — $80+
In the context of a tasting menu running hundreds of dollars per head, Krug by the glass or as a pairing opener is the move — it holds up against the bold, acid-driven bites that open the meal and gives you a reference point for what elevated glassware can do.
Álvaro Palacios L'Ermita
Everyone at the table is eyeing the DRC and the Pétrus, but L'Ermita — Palacios's singular old-vine Garnacha from Priorat — is the Spanish soul of this list. It's a wine that matches the kitchen's Spanish DNA and gets overlooked next to the French flagships.
Château Pétrus
It's an icon, no argument there, but at Minibar's markup levels and in a tasting menu setting where you're sharing attention with 20-plus courses, dropping four figures on Pétrus is a tough sell. The wine deserves a quieter room.
Domaine Leflaive + Jicama with uni and caviar
A white Burgundy from Leflaive — all minerality and restrained richness — cuts right through the brine of the uni and caviar while the jicama's crunch keeps things lively. It's the rare pairing where both the wine and the dish get better.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Minibar is not a wine destination in the traditional sense — it's a culinary theater with a seriously curated supporting cast. If you're going for the experience, lean into the pairing menu; the list was built for exactly that.
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Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Georgetown · Washington · French
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
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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Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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