The French Laundry

This is a deep, red leaning cellar of nearly 2,000 bottles built around Napa Cabernet and Burgundy, with Bordeaux and Piedmont close behind, so expect to talk Ridge, Stag's Leap, Screaming Eagle and Harlan on the California side and Pierre Yves Colin Morey, Giacomo Conterno and Raveneau on the Old World side. Reds dominate at 981 selections against 448 whites, and the cellar runs genuinely vertical, from a $10 entry to a $31,960 Petrus, though with a median near $1,010 this is a list for guests spending real money. The trophy tier is well covered, with Petrus, Screaming Eagle and Romanee Conti all topping the high end. The glass program is modest at 29 pours, so steer guests who want range or value toward the bottle list. It rewards the collector and the special occasion table more than the casual drinker, and you should know the Napa Cab and Burgundy benches cold.

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