Aspen's Cult-Wine Steakhouse Delivers the Goods
Aspen · Aspen · Steak House · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · April 7, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Monarch’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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The wine list at The Monarch lands like a flex — in the best way. Four to six hundred selections deep, anchored by California cult wines and serious Burgundy, this is a list that means business. White tablecloths, a dedicated sommelier, and a Best of Award of Excellence since 2019 all signal that the wine program here is not an afterthought.
Sommelier Ryan Brown has built a list that skews hard toward the power regions: California, Burgundy, and Italy. On the California side, you're looking at Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Opus One, and Caymus Special Selection — the steakhouse hall of fame, yes, but executed with real depth rather than just name-dropping. Burgundy gets serious treatment with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti anchoring the prestige end and Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin providing more approachable entry points into Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. Italy punches above its weight with Sassicaia, Gaja, and Giacomo Conterno representing Barolo at its finest. The gaps are minor — if you're hunting obscure natural wine or deep Southern Hemisphere selections, look elsewhere — but for the classic steakhouse power grid, this list is hard to beat.
With 20 to 35 options by the glass, the program is generous for a restaurant at this price point. Expect rotating access to producers like Jordan and Silver Oak by the pour — solid, food-friendly choices that work hard against a dry-aged ribeye. We'd love to see more Burgundy representation by the glass, but in Aspen, the bottle orders tend to do the heavy lifting.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $80–$120
Jordan is the sleeper on any high-end steakhouse list. It reliably over-delivers at its price point — structured, food-friendly, and a genuine pleasure against red meat without demanding you spend Screaming Eagle money to have a great night.
Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny
Everyone at the table is ordering California Cab, and we get it. But Chambolle-Musigny from Drouhin — silky, perfumed, and genuinely complex — is a left-turn that beats most of the California lineup at its price and shows off why Burgundy belongs on a steakhouse list in the first place.
Opus One
Opus One is a fine wine, full stop — but in a room full of Harlan and Screaming Eagle loyalists, it gets marked up as a trophy pour rather than a value play. You're paying for the label recognition at this stage, and the rest of the California lineup gives you more wine per dollar.
Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Prime dry-aged ribeye
Conterno Barolo's high acidity and structural tannins are built for exactly this moment — they cut through the fat of a well-marbled dry-aged ribeye and make both the wine and the steak taste bigger than they would alone. Classic pairing, but classics become classics for a reason.
The Bottom Line
The Monarch is the real deal for a special-occasion steakhouse wine experience in the Rockies — Ryan Brown's list has genuine depth and the chops to back it up. Prices are Aspen prices, so come prepared, but you're getting a Wine Spectator-caliber program to match every dollar you spend.
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Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown / The Little Nell · Aspen · Wine Bar / Lounge
Element 47 is the rare mountain resort wine program that could hold its own in any major city — 3,300 labels, proper storage, knowledgeable staff, and glassware that actually fits the wine. Prices are high because Aspen is high, but if you're going to spend serious money on a bottle somewhere, this is a place that respects the investment.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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Downtown · Aspen · Bar / Mexican
Las Montañas is the rare bar where the wine list deserves more attention than the cocktail menu — a sommelier-curated, California-forward selection with enough Pacific Northwest surprises to keep things interesting. Aspen markups are what they are, but the quality and intentionality here are real.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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Sant Ambroeus Aspen is a genuinely good Italian wine program wearing a resort-town price tag — the producers are real, the Franciacorta selection alone is worth your attention, and the staff actually knows what's on the list. Just go in knowing you're paying Aspen rates for everything, and let that Bellavista do its thing.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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Proper
Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Lounge / Mediterranean
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Plays It Safe
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
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Downtown / St. Regis · Aspen · Mountain American / Hotel Restaurant
Velvet Buck is a reliable, well-run hotel wine program doing exactly what a St. Regis in Aspen is supposed to do — impress people without surprising them. If you're after adventure, look elsewhere; if you're after a great glass of Far Niente after a day on the mountain, you're in the right place.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Hartland · Hartland · Steak House
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Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse has a sommelier, a Wine Spectator credential, and a list that knows its audience — which is Jackson tourists who want great steak and great Napa Cab, full stop. Send a friend here if they want a proper California red with a serious piece of beef; just warn them to skip Opus One and let Jordan do the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
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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