From the High-Rent District, Some Reasonably Priced Wines

When the Tribeca wine list arrived it was three pages long. That’s often an indication that some care has gone into the wine program. But upon opening it, I discovered that there were only 40 or so wines. Was this a disappointment?

Hardly. Pricing is reasonable--an average of barely 2.2 times wholesale, much less on some well-chosen items. This makes Tribeca’s one of the best-priced lists in the area, and when you consider that the restaurant is in the high-rent district, quite amazing.

Moreover, the selection, though small, is superb.

Among the best values on the list are 1986 Trefethen Chardonnay at $26, 1985 Groth Chardonnay at $18 (the wine retails for $12), 1987 Chimney Rock Fume Blanc at $14 and the striking 1986 Sterling Winery Lake Chardonnay, one of the best wines of the year, at a very fair $30.

Among the red values, pick the superb 1985 Storybook Mountain Zinfandel ($16), 1984 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($18) or 1983 Mondavi Cabernet ($22).

Two red wines that I find to be amazingly fine values are 1980 Chappellet Cabernet at $32 (less than twice its wholesale price) and 1982 Sterling Reserve Cabernet for a rock-bottom $30, which is just about its retail price!

Among the finds: 1983 Trimbach Gewurztraminer, a grand dry Alsatian wine from an excellent vintage, $21; 1985 Joseph Drouhin Rully, a lovely white table wine at $23; a half bottle of the award-winning 1986 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc at $8.

Other bargains include three 1979 Bordeaux--Chateau Du Tertre at $35 and Chateau Pichon Lalande and Chateau Montrose at $40. The Du Tertre was one of the best wines of the ’79 vintage, indicating that someone here knows wine and found the good buys.

Other great buys: 1980 Chateau de Beaucastel, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape of eminence, at $30, and the lovely 1982 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico at $20.

To finish, you could have a glass of one of two great-vintage ports, 1963 Taylor ($18) or 1977 Fonseca ($9).

Even Champagnes are kept low, such as 1982 Dom Perignon at $95 and the delightful 1983 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs at $30--both just a few dollars more than their suggested retail prices.

If the list has a drawback it is depth. Imports are limited, though what’s there is very well chosen, such as a Muscadet from Chateau du Cleray, a historic property that makes marvelously spicy white wine. On the list here, a half bottle is $8, a bargain. Still, a few more imports might round out an otherwise well-conceived wine list.

There is also a separate wine by-the-glass menu of quality wines ranging in price from $4 to $6.50.

If more restaurants priced their wine like Tribeca, more diners might drink wine with their meal.