THE WINE LIST

It’s always nice to see a wine list with a few older vintages. Most wine should be drunk young, but some of the best improve with bottle aging, and Geoffrey’s offers diners some older vintages.

It’s too bad that certain wines are priced too high. For example, I’d be pleased to order the 1986 Grgich Hills Chardonnay, a lovely wine that is about three years past its release date. But I wouldn’t be pleased to pay $65 for the experience.

Notwithstanding these prices, careful diners can find an excellent bottle on this list that isn’t a rip-off. For lighter-styled wines, good buys include 1988 Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett, $20; 1988 Vouvray Chateau Moncontour, $20, or 1990 Handley Gewurztraminer, $16.

Prices for Chardonnays seem high, but there are great choices among the Sauvignon Blancs, such as 1989 Hanna, $17, and 1990 Murphy-Goode Fume Blanc, probably the best buy on the list at $15.

In the reds, the 1988 Stonegate Merlot Proprietor’s Reserve, $24, or 1988 Sterling Merlot, $25, are good values that go well with a wide variety of dishes.

Bordeaux fanciers can choose from five wines priced from $75 to $235; Burgundy lovers have four choices, from $14 to $250.