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πŸ”₯The Rager

Monterey

Burgundy heavyweights hiding in a Midtown brasserie

Midtown East Β· New York Β· Steak House Β· Visit Website β†—

date-nightdeep-cellarold-world-focussplurge-worthy

Reviewed April 8, 2026

Wingman Metrics

List VarietyDeep & Eclectic
MarkupSteep
GlasswareVarietal Specific
StaffKnowledgeable & Friendly
Specials & DealsSet & Forget
Storage & TempProper

First Impression

The wine list lands on the table with the kind of weight that makes you forget you're in Midtown East. Four hundred to six hundred selections, anchored hard in France and Italy, with a sommelier β€” Liliia Kyiik β€” who clearly built this thing with intent. This isn't a steakhouse list assembled by committee; someone here actually cares.

Selection Deep Dive

Burgundy is the star, and they're not messing around β€” Domaine de la RomanΓ©e-Conti, Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin, Leroy Bourgogne, and Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet all make appearances, which is a lineup you'd expect at a dedicated wine bar, not a brasserie on 50th. Italy holds its own with Giacomo Conterno Barolo and Gaja Barbaresco representing the serious Piedmont canon. Spain shows up with genuine muscle in the form of Vega Sicilia Unico and Pingus β€” two bottles that belong on any serious list. The gaps, if any, are modest; this is a program that earned its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in 2024 and doesn't look like it's coasting on the credential.

By the Glass

Twenty to thirty-five options by the glass is a generous spread for a steakhouse, with prices running $15–$45 β€” the top end of that range should be delivering something worth the climb. Rotation details are limited, but a list of this caliber at the bottle level suggests the glass pours aren't an afterthought. If Kyiik is running the program, expect the BTG selection to track the strengths of the full list.

πŸ’°Best Value

Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges β€” $95–$130 (estimated range)

Faiveley's Nuits is perennially underpriced relative to its village-level peers and offers the Burgundy experience β€” earthy, structured, proper β€” without demanding you break the bank on a Premier Cru. On a list that runs deep into four figures, this is your entry point into the good stuff.

πŸ’ŽHidden Gem

Leroy Bourgogne

Lalou Bize-Leroy's village-level Bourgogne gets overlooked because the name on the label is associated with bottles that cost as much as a car payment. But the Bourgogne Rouge punches well above its appellation β€” biodynamic farming, obsessive sourcing β€” and most people scan right past it chasing the Grand Crus. Don't.

β›”Skip This

Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot

Jadot is a fine producer and Clos Vougeot is a Grand Cru, so this isn't a bad wine β€” but on a list stacked with grower Burgundies and domaine-bottled heavyweights, the Jadot nΓ©gociant bottling at steakhouse markup is the least interesting way to spend your Grand Cru budget. You can do better on this same list.

🍽️Perfect Pairing

Giacomo Conterno Barolo + Prime Rib Cart

Conterno's Barolo is all tar, roses, and iron-fisted tannin β€” built for exactly the kind of fat-marbled, long-roasted beef that comes off a prime rib cart. The wine's acidity cuts the richness, the tannins lock into the protein, and you end up with one of those rare restaurant moments where the food and the wine actually make each other better.

πŸ”₯ The Bottom Line

Monterey is playing a different game than most Midtown steakhouses β€” the Burgundy and Barolo depth here is real, the sommelier knows her list, and the Art Deco setting gives the whole thing a sense of occasion. Markups run steep, as they do everywhere in this zip code, but if you're picking carefully, this list rewards the effort.

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