Ski Town Bistro With Serious Wine Ambitions
Downtown / West End edge · Aspen · French Bistro · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Petit Trois at MOLLIE’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a French bistro tucked inside a boutique ski hotel sounds like a trap — overpriced pours, a list built for expense accounts. But Petit Trois earns a second look fast. The France-heavy card has actual conviction behind it, with Burgundy, Jura, and Alsace getting real shelf space instead of a token Sancerre and a shrug.
About 100 bottles sounds modest until you see what they did with the space. France anchors the list hard — Burgundy and Jura are clearly where someone's attention went — but California slots in with genuine picks rather than filler. Hirsch 'San Andreas Fault' Pinot Noir and Presqu'ile Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills signal that the buyer actually drinks wine outside of Europe. Steve Matthiasson's Napa 'Village' Cab is the kind of low-intervention, thoughtful California red you'd expect at a natural wine bar, not a hotel bistro. The gaps? South America and the Southern Hemisphere are essentially ghosts, and if you want to go deep on Champagne you may hit a wall.
An estimated 12–18 by-the-glass options is strong for a room this size, and the list skews toward the same France-plus-California axis as the bottles. We don't have glass prices locked down, but in Aspen expect to budget accordingly — nothing here is happening at Denver neighborhood bar rates. Rotation frequency is unclear, which is the one thing that would push this program from good to great.
Presqu'ile Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills — Price not confirmed
Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay from a producer this focused on site expression is a serious pour in any context. In a room where the default move is to grab a safe Burgundy at twice the price, this California bottle gives you tension, freshness, and terroir without the markup that a Meursault would demand.
Steve Matthiasson Napa 'Village' Cabernet Sauvignon
Most people at a French bistro are not reaching for a Napa Cab — and that's exactly why this one is sitting there waiting. Matthiasson's Village bottling is the anti-Napa Napa Cab: restrained, herb-edged, built for a table and not a tasting room score. Most guests walk right past it for something French. Don't.
Generic Burgundy anchor bottles
The research data doesn't surface specific overpriced bottles by name, but in a room like this — hotel bistro, Aspen zip code, clientele that will pay — the standard-appellation Burgundy bottles are almost certainly carrying the steepest markups on the list. When in doubt, the California picks here offer more wine per dollar than the flagship French stuff.
Hirsch 'San Andreas Fault' Pinot Noir + Steak frites
Hirsch's San Andreas Fault bottling runs cool and savory — iron, dark cherry, coastal Sonoma grit. Against the char and salt of steak frites, it holds its own without going full Bordeaux on you. It's the kind of pairing that makes the French purists at the next table quietly jealous.
The Bottom Line
Petit Trois Aspen is a Wild Card because it has no business being this interesting inside a ski hotel — but here we are. The list has a real point of view, the staff backs it up, and a few bottles are genuinely worth seeking out. Just keep one eye on the markup and let the California picks carry you.
· 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
Hillcrest · San Diego · French Bistro
A French-leaning list where every glass shows its pour size, with sparkling starting at $19 and still wines at $16. Order the Crémant de Bordeaux at $19 a glass, or the Biéville Chablis with the Moules Marinières, and confirm vintages and prices. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks page, not service, storage or markups.
Wynwood · Miami · French Bistro
An all-French list with a wide posted spread, from a 45 rosé in 375ML to a 15,450 Romanée-Conti, plus a short glass-and-carafe list for a regular dinner. Start with the 15 Le Gouleyant Malbec by the glass, or the Chinon at 70 if you want a bottle, and confirm current prices and sizes since no currency symbol or bottle size is printed on the wine list. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Lincoln Park · Chicago · French Bistro
Start with the $13 Maison les Alexandrins Syrah by the glass, or pour the Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer with the roast chicken at $16 a glass or $64 a bottle. Bottle prices on the wine list carry no unit label, so check them against the Btl column on the glass list, and confirm availability. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or retail markups.
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
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