Twenty Thousand Bottles Deep Under Aspen
Downtown / The Little Nell · Aspen · Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed The Little Nell Dining’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Little Nell's wine program is a little like opening a door you weren't sure you were allowed to knock on. The cellar holds 20,000+ bottles — not a typo — and the list reads like someone spent decades chasing down the right producers instead of just calling a distributor and checking a box. This is one of the most serious wine destinations in the American Rockies, full stop.
The focus is classically European with real depth: Burgundy anchors the list with names like Roulot, and Rhône lovers will find Chave Hermitage in serious verticals. Italy shows up properly with Gaja, Bordeaux brings mature classed-growth claret, and California earns its seat at the table with Ridge and Screaming Eagle rather than just the usual suspects. If you've ever wanted to drink a bottle of Romanée-Conti somewhere that actually knows how to store and serve it, this is that place — though you'll need to budget accordingly. The main gap: the data doesn't reveal a meaningful natural wine or emerging-region presence, so if you're hunting for off-the-beaten-path pours, you may be working against the list's very classical DNA.
Estimates put the by-the-glass program at 20–35 options across the property's dining outlets, which is genuinely impressive range at this level. Given the cellar's depth and the sommelier team on staff, expect the glass pours to rotate with purpose rather than just defaulting to whatever arrived on the last truck. We'd trust these folks to steer you toward something worth drinking by the glass — that's rarer than it sounds.
Ridge (California) — null
Among the trophy bottles on this list, Ridge is the relative everyman — serious winemaking, honest California terroir, and a producer that's earned its reputation over decades without inflating its ego or its price tag to match its neighbors. In a cellar full of Screaming Eagle money, grabbing a Ridge feels like finding a $50 bill in a jacket pocket.
Chave Hermitage
Most diners here will be gunning for Burgundy or California cult bottles. Meanwhile, Chave Hermitage — one of the most profound expressions of Syrah on the planet — sits there waiting. It's not cheap, but it's not Romanée-Conti money either, and in terms of sheer drinking experience per dollar on this list, it punches harder than almost anything else.
Screaming Eagle
Look, it's a great wine. But at a luxury Aspen hotel, you're paying a premium on top of an already-inflated secondary market price for the privilege of ordering something your dining companion will recognize. The markup here is almost certainly brutal, and the wine's reputation does most of the work. There are deeper, more interesting bottles on this same list for a fraction of the price.
Romanée-Conti + Chef's tasting menu
If you're already committing to a multi-course tasting menu at one of Colorado's finest dining rooms, this is the one moment in life where ordering DRC makes contextual sense. The kitchen's precision and the bottle's complexity deserve each other — and frankly, the staff here is equipped to make that pairing land properly, which is not something you can say about most rooms.
The Bottom Line
The Little Nell's wine program is the real deal — one of the deepest cellars you'll find anywhere in the mountain West, staffed by people who actually know what they're talking about. The markups will sting and there's no bargain-hunter's night to soften the blow, but if you're eating here, you already knew what you signed up for.
· 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
Central · Colorado Springs · Fine Dining
A bottle list with a long Napa Cabernet section and prices from 40 to 3,500, plus an 11-pour glass section at $7 to $25. Start with the Wine Specials page, where the Viña Alberdi Reserva Tempranillo is on the $60 list, or the CVNE Monopole Blanco at 40, and confirm prices because nothing is dated. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Anchorage · Fine Dining
A wine-bar list with real range: 29 pours with glass and bottle prices, and 73 bottles from $31 to $1,200. Start with the Dr. Loosen Red Slate Riesling at $38 or the Chateau Recougne Bordeaux Superieur at $40, and step up to the Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir at $84 (or the 375 mL half at $46) if you want something to build the dinner around. Confirm prices, since neither list shows a date. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Newport · Providence · Fine Dining
Order the $20 Scarpetta Pinot Grigio or the $27 Faiveley Pinot Noir by the glass, and treat the $45 Philipponnat Champagne as the splurge pour. Confirm current availability and prices, since the list sits on a menu dated 7/8/26. This unrated guide covers that posted 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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