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The 5 Best Wines With Filet Mignon

Ryan Marshall
Last Updated: August 1st, 2023

Filet Mignon is one of the best cuts of meat on the menu at many upscale steakhouses, and it requires proper handling and a delicate touch by the chef.

Similarly, picking the best wine with filet mignon also requires finesse and delicate flavors, which bring out the best flavors of this high-quality cut of steak without overpowering any of the outstanding natural flavors.

Best Wine With Filet Mignon – Top 5 Chocies

bordeaux france vineyard

Bordeaux Blends

The world famous blends of Bordeaux, France are made using a combination of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, and sometimes Cabernet Franc is also present in the mix. Winemakers carefully balance the two grapes to achieve a balanced wine with the best of each.

The Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bordeaux blend provides structure and strong flavors to the red wine mix, as well as aggressive and grippy tannins. The Merlot is used to give the wine a more juicy body, as well as a more luscious feel and deep red fruit flavors.

The wines of Bordeaux are one of the best pairing options for high-quality cuts of steak like filet mignon, and we recommend going with a high-end bottle that costs over $50, as the top-tier steak deserves an equally high-quality wine.

For wine enthusiasts who are on a budget but would still like to enjoy some of the top-tier tasting notes and balance that the Bordeaux region provides, Château d’Issan is a fantastic option. It can usually be found for under $100 and makes for an incredible filet mignon pairing.

On the other end of the price spectrum, Chateau Latour is one of the most highly regarded bottles of wine in the entire world that can sell for thousands of dollars at auction depending on the vintage. It is only fitting to serve one of the best cuts of steak with one of the best wines.

Syrah

syrah sign at vineyard

Syrah is a French red wine grape that produces full bodied red wines full of “in your face” bold flavors and aggressive tannins. Many Syrah lovers can’t get enough of the spicy and deep herbal tasting notes that can not be found in any other wine grape.

This “spicy” and bold red wine grape is best suited for production in warm weather growing areas, and new world wine-producing countries like the United States and Australia have embraced Syrah. The best bottles of Syrah are still produced in France, however.

Platings and Pairings is a website that is dedicated to finding some of the best food and wine pairings in the world. They have included Syrah in a recent guide titled “The 5 BEST Wines to Pair with Steak.” It is important to choose labels with subtle tannins that are lighter in body.

Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde de Guigal is a refined and upscale bottle of French syrah that has received a 95 point score from the trusted publication Wine Enthusiast. It contains all the full flavors one would expect from a French Syrah without overpowering steak dishes.

Domaine Jamet Cote Rotie Cote Brune is a bold and refined bottle of Syrah that can draw large price tags of over $500 per bottle. It is full of bold flavors and tannins that are strong enough to break down the fats in steak without distracting from its natural flavors.

Pinot Noir

pinot noir sign at vineyard

Pinot Noir is one of the most popular and widely planted wine grapes in the entire world, and it is used to make delicate and refined bottles of Pinot Noir that carry soft flavors and aromas of red fruit and roses. Pinot Noir is a great counterpart for filet mignon due to these subtle flavors.

France and the United States are the two leading producers of the Pinot Noir grape, and some of the best bottles are produced in the Burgundy region of France. Some of the most sought after labels of Pinot Noir have sold for over $20,000 at auction.

Cattlemen’s is an upscale steak restaurant that has put together a helpful guide for pairing different styles of wine with different cuts of meat. They have highlighted Pinot Noir as one of the best options for “higher end steaks” such as filet mignon.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru is one of the most historic, highly respected, and expensive bottles of wine in the entire world. Many wine critics have awarded it a perfect score, and it elevates any red meat dish that it is served alongside.

For wine enthusiasts with a more “down to earth” budget, Ata Rangi Pinot Noir offers some of the best and most refined tasting notes that the country of New Zealand has to offer in an affordable wine with many layers of complex tasting notes.

Malbec

malbec vineyard

Malbec is an interesting red wine grape that is most prominently produced in the country of Argentina today. Some of the highest quality and most interesting bottles of Malbec are produced in the world famous Mendoza region of Argentina today.

These heavy and strong wines are often oak aged, which give them deep and rich tasting notes that have been compared to leather and tobacco. These tasting notes make for great tasting interactions with upscale cuts of meat that are full of natural flavors such as filet mignon.

What makes Malbec such a great pairing for high-quality cuts of steak like filet mignon, is that it contains a balanced combination of jammy fruit flavors and deep earthy tasting notes. These flavors play well with the natural taste of the steak without overpowering the palate.

Bodega Aleanna ‘El Enemigo’ Malbec is one of the most popular and easily recognizable bottles of Malbec from the world-famous Mendoza region of Argentina. It has received a number of international wine awards and makes for a great pairing with just about any cut of steak.

For wine enthusiasts with larger budgets who are looking to try some of the best wine that the Mendoza region has to offer, Cobos Malbec is the best way to go. It offers refined flavors using only the finest wine grapes and hand-selected oak for aging, making it great for steak dinners.

Zinfandel

zinfandel grapes vineyard

Zinfandel is a juicy and sweet red wine grape that produces easy-drinking wines that are both fruity and complex. The strong tasting notes of jammy fruit interact well with leaner cuts of steak such as filet mignon, though it does not contain enough tannin to stand up to fattier steaks.

Prime rib and Zinfandel are a match made in heaven in the eyes of many sommeliers and wine experts, and the pairing of the two is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. The vast majority of Zinfandel wines are produced in the United States today.

While the Italian wine grape Primitivo is genetically identical to the Zinfandel grape, American Zinfandel wines carry strong tasting notes of sweet fruit that can not be replicated anywhere else on the planet. These jammy reds are fantastic options for bringing out the best in steaks.

Turley Wine Cellars Old Vines Zinfandel is one of the most popular bottles of Zinfandel being produced in the United States today, and it offers a full bouquet of red fruit flavors that elevate every bite of filet mignon dishes without overpowering the palate.

Rafanelli Zinfandel is a high quality bottle of American Zinfandel that is produced in the Sonoma County region of California. It has received high marks from a number of different important wine critics and makes for a great pairing with higher quality cuts of beef.

Conclusion

Filet Mignon is one of the most delicate, expensive, and refined cuts of meat on any menu that is deserving of an equally elegant and refined glass of wine.

While certain types of steak call for big and bold red wines, the best wine pairings for filet mignon are blanched, refined, and full of complex layers of flavor.

About The Author

Ryan Marshall

Ryan is a full time freelance writer who can most often be found on the disc golf course or local coffee shop when not behind a keyboard. He is an avid traveler and lover of all things sports and outdoors. Ryan is also a certified level one sommelier, and is endlessly curious about the world of high end beverages. Writing about wine, coffee, and other specialty beverages has given him a chance to take a deeper dive into his research, and he loves helping people find the perfect drink for their palates and preferences!

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