Lots of wine...don't know if it's any good

[etr]

I'm not a wine expert at all, but I was wondering how I would know if an
older (1997) bottle of Beaujolais-Villages, Georges Duboeuf is still good?
How can I tell if ANY wine is good after certain years? Are there certain
wines that keep and others that must be drank immediately?

Thanks for any assistance you can provide me.