Montana's Most Serious Dessert Wine Cellar
Downtown · Billings · New American / European · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 5, 2026
RagingWine reviewed TEN at the Northern Hotel’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into TEN, you don't expect Château d'Yquem on the wine list — not in Billings, Montana. But there it is, sitting at $898 next to a genuinely curated run of dessert wines, fortifieds, and international labels that would hold their own in any major city. The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is hanging on the wall, and for once, you believe it.
The dessert and fortified wine program is where TEN actually shines, and it's legitimately impressive for the region. You've got a full Sandeman Port vertical running from Ruby to a 40-year Tawny, Anselmi's 'I Capitelli' Recioto di Soave from Veneto, Vin Santo from Castellare di Castellina in Chianti Classico, and even a Jackson Triggs Vidal Icewine from Niagara Peninsula. The broader list — implied at 120-160 labels — skews international with a French and Italian backbone, which tracks for a hotel restaurant trying to punch above its weight class. What's missing is transparency: full bottle pricing and BTG specifics aren't published, which makes planning a meal around wine harder than it should be.
We're estimating 12-18 pours by the glass, but the published data only surfaces the fortified and dessert side of things — where you can sip Carpano Antica Formula vermouth for $8 or work your way up to a Graham's 10 Year Tawny for $15. Whether the full BTG program is as thoughtfully assembled as the dessert section is unclear, which is either a gap in communication or a gap in the list itself.
Marenco 'Pineto' Brachetto d'Acqui, Piedmont, Italy 2021 – 375ml — $48
Brachetto d'Acqui is one of the most underrated sweet reds in the world — lightly sparkling, strawberry-forward, low alcohol — and Marenco makes a textbook version. At $48 for a half-bottle, it's the most accessible entry point into TEN's dessert program and the kind of wine that surprises people who think they don't like sweet wine.
Sandeman 40 Year Tawny Port – $55
A 40-year Tawny on a by-the-glass or pour list in Billings, Montana is genuinely rare. Most people walk past it and order the Ruby, but Sandeman's 40-year has that deep, oxidative, walnut-and-fig complexity that makes you slow down and pay attention. At $55 a pour, it's not cheap — but it's a legitimate experience you won't find at most restaurants in the state.
Château d'Yquem 'Premier Cru Supérieur' Sauternes 2019 – $898
D'Yquem belongs on a list like this in theory, but without retail pricing visible for direct comparison, $898 is a hard sell when you're not in a restaurant specifically built around that kind of cellar. It's a trophy bottle at a trophy price, and unless someone else is paying, the Chateau Hallet Sauternes at $60 tells a similar story at a fraction of the cost.
Chateau Hallet Sauternes, Bordeaux, France 2020 – 375ml + Locally sourced steak
Sauternes with a rich, fatty steak is a classic high-low contrast that works every time — the wine's honeyed acidity cuts through the fat in a way that a big red sometimes doesn't. At $60 for a half-bottle, it's an affordable way to do something unexpected at a steakhouse-leaning menu.
The Bottom Line
TEN is the kind of wine program that earns its reputation on the strength of one exceptional category — dessert and fortified wines — in a market where most restaurants don't bother. If you're in Billings and want to drink seriously, this is your spot; just go in knowing the full picture of the list is harder to read than it should be.
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Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
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Solid Range
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Deep & Eclectic
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Basic Stemmed
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Set & Forget
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Solid Range
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Basic Stemmed
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Basic Stemmed
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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