Cincinnati's Old Guard Does Cabernet Right
Columbia Tusculum · Cincinnati · Steakhouse · Visit Website ↗
Updated June 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · March 28, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Precinct’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
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Wingman Metrics
Walking into The Precinct — a converted 1901 police patrol house — you half expect the wine list to be as old-school as the building, and honestly, you'd be right. The list is a 300-plus bottle monument to Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux, curated for the expense-account crowd who already knows what they want. There's nothing surprising here, but there's also nothing sloppy.
The list leans heavily on California's greatest hits: Caymus, Jordan, Silver Oak, Duckhorn, Rombauer — the Mount Rushmore of steakhouse wine. Napa Valley and Sonoma dominate, with Bordeaux holding down the old-world flank. If you're hunting for Burgundy depth, natural wine curiosities, or anything from the Southern Hemisphere, you're going to be disappointed. This is a list that knows its audience — prime beef eaters who want a big, extracted red — and it serves them without apology.
The by-the-glass program runs 15 to 25 options, which is respectable for a steakhouse of this caliber. Expect the usuals in the glass: a Rombauer Chardonnay, probably a Jordan or similar Cab. Rotation appears minimal — this is a "set it and forget it" program, not one hunting for seasonal excitement.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon — null
Jordan is the value anchor in a lineup that could run much steeper. It's a classic Alexander Valley Cab — structured, food-friendly, and reliable — that doesn't pretend to be something it's not. In a list where bottles can push well north of $100, Jordan is the move for anyone who wants quality without the full penalty.
Duckhorn Merlot
Everyone in the room is ordering Cabernet. That's their loss. Duckhorn's Napa Merlot is a legitimately serious wine that gets ignored the moment it shares a menu with Silver Oak and Caymus. It's plush, structured, and drinks beautifully against a dry-aged cut — and you'll likely get better table service on it because no one else is ordering it.
Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
Caymus is a fine wine. It's also one of the most marked-up bottles in the American steakhouse circuit, and The Precinct is not going to be the exception. You're paying a serious premium for a label everyone recognizes, not for anything unique to this list. The money goes further elsewhere on this menu.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon + Dry-Aged USDA Prime Steak
Silver Oak's Alexander Valley Cab is built for exactly this moment. It's got the tannin structure to stand up to a dry-aged prime cut, but the ripe fruit and vanilla-oak softness that keeps it from overwhelming the meat. It's a classic pairing for a reason — sometimes the room reads the situation correctly.
The Bottom Line
The Precinct is not going to surprise you, and it's not trying to. It's a well-run, properly staffed, Napa-forward steakhouse list that delivers exactly what Cincinnati's finest dining institution has been delivering for decades. Send a friend here if they want a great bottle of California Cab with a serious steak — just tell them to skip the Caymus.
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