Napa's Hilltop Cathedral of Serious Wine
Rutherford · Napa · French-inspired California Fine Dining · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 13, 2026
RagingWine reviewed The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil’s wine list and gave it The Rager — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list lands on the table with the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly what it is. Fifteen thousand bottles in the cellar, 1,500 different labels, and a range that runs from a $26 pour to an $18,500 bottle of DRC — this isn't a list, it's a declaration. You're on a Napa hillside with panoramic vineyard views, and whoever built this program wanted to make sure the wine matched the scenery.
The California representation is exactly what you'd hope for at a Relais & Châteaux property sitting in the middle of Rutherford — deep, local, and deliberate — but the list doesn't stop at the county line. Bordeaux and Burgundy heavyweights like the 1955 Château Haut-Brion and a 1997 Sassicaia anchor the old-world side with serious credibility. The Provence rosé section reads like a greatest-hits collection, with Château de Pibarnon and Château Galoupet Cru Classé showing up alongside Domaine de Fontsainte's Gris de Gris — producers that don't usually share a menu outside of a dedicated wine bar. New World reach extends to Oregon with Ponzi Pinot Gris and New Zealand with Cloudy Bay, which keeps the list from feeling like a Napa vanity project.
Forty wines by the glass is a genuinely serious commitment — most restaurants with a list this prestigious let the BTG program coast on four reds and a Chardonnay. Glass pricing isn't published online, which is a minor frustration, but the breadth suggests real rotation and intention. At this caliber of establishment, you can expect the pours to be well-kept and properly served.
Green & Red Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley — N/A (list price not published)
Green & Red is a Chiles Valley cult producer that flies under the radar compared to the trophy bottles dominating this list. In a room full of five-figure Burgundy, a focused Napa SB from a serious small producer is your best move for drinking well without bracing for a surcharge.
Domaine de Fontsainte Gris de Gris, Corbières
Most tables at Auberge are reaching for the Pibarnon or Galoupet on the rosé page — understandably. But Fontsainte's Gris de Gris from Corbières is a copper-hued, structured Grenache Gris rosé that barely gets attention outside France. It's a textbook example of a serious rosé disguised as a warm-weather pour, and it'll outperform its price point against nearly anything on this menu.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Cloudy Bay built its reputation decades ago, but at a restaurant with 1,500 wines and genuine depth across every region, ordering this feels like asking for the house pasta. It's reliably marked up, widely available at any decent wine shop, and simply not the move when Green & Red is sitting right next to it.
Château Galoupet Cru Classé Rosé, Côtes de Provence + Local seafood preparation
Galoupet is one of the few Cru Classé Provence rosés with enough structure and salinity to actually stand up to a composed seafood dish rather than just refreshing the palate between bites. The wine's mineral backbone and restrained fruit make it a legitimate partner to whatever the kitchen is doing with local fish — not just a pretty glass to hold on the terrace.
🔥 The Bottom Line
This is one of the most serious wine programs in Napa Valley, full stop — the depth, the storage, and the staff to guide you through it all earn the Rager without argument. Just go in knowing the markup is real, order strategically, and let the cellar do the rest.
Calistoga · Napa · Seasonal Modern American
TRUSS is a competent, well-staffed wine program that plays to its audience and its address — if you're here for deep cuts or value hunting, lower your expectations and enjoy the views. But if you want a reliable, properly stored Napa-focused list with real sommelier guidance and a solid glass pour selection, this is exactly what it's supposed to be.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Italian with California Influence
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Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Yountville · Napa · American comfort food / family-style
Ad Hoc's wine list is exactly what you'd expect from a Thomas Keller casual concept: well-curated, California-centric, and priced for people who didn't blink at the reservation. It won't blow your mind, but it'll hold its own against the fried chicken.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Contemporary American and Mediterranean-inspired
The CIA at Copia is the rare Napa restaurant where the wine list isn't trying to take your wallet hostage. If you're in downtown Napa and want serious producers at prices that don't require a second mortgage, this is the move.
Solid Range
Steal
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
Yountville · Napa · New American
Lucy is a well-run hotel wine program that takes itself seriously — proper glassware, a sommelier who shows up, and a California list with genuine depth. The markups are Napa-level steep, but you're in Yountville; nobody's coming here expecting Brooklyn prices.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
Downtown Napa · Napa · Contemporary New American
Torc earns its place at the top of Downtown Napa's wine scene — deep list, smart producers, a sommelier who presumably earned the title. Bring your appetite and a card that can handle a Napa markup, because the wine here is worth the conversation.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
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