A few wines tasted in Germany

Ch. d'Oupia (Minervois) 1999 - one of the best $6 wines
I've found. Smooth and soft (a touch too much so) but
with good structure, balanced, good fruit, longish finish.
I'd consider buying it for 50% more here in the US. Tasted
at Vinum, often noted as Berlin's best wine store/cafe.

Meyer Nakel Blaueschiefer Spatburgunder 1997 - my friends
Hans-Erich and Christiane have been to this vineyard, which
is notable for the slate on which the terroir is based. There
is in fact a mineralliness to the wine, but Hans-Erich's
claim that it reminds him of writing on the blackboard in
elementary school might be taken with a grain of salt. It is
an impressive wine, though, uncompromising in dryness but
with an almost French level of oak. Long, long finish. Ready
to drink but would benefit from several years.

Domaine St.-Andrieu L'Yeuse Noir (Coteaux de Languedoc) 1996
- a likable, not too complex wine. I'd asked the young man
minding the store about what Hans-Erich would like, and so
he called the owner on his cellphone at the wine expo and got
this as one of several suggestions (most of them being wines
from the Sud-Ouest as Hans-Erich vacations there). Asked the
young fellow what he knew about it, and he admitted he didn't
have much experience with the "higher priced" wines (this one
was all of 29 or 39 DM!); I said that the experience would
come, and I trusted his boss. Turns out to be a softish but
stemmy wine with almost overripe fruit (not offensively so).
Medium finish. Also ready to drink but close to peak now.

Chateau Lagrange (Pomerol) 1996. Had this at Vau, a Michelin-
starred restaurant in East Berlin near the Gendarmen-Markt.
Velvety texture, deep purple, ripe grapes, stone fruit, some
mineralliness, no vegetality. Good example of Merlot, quite
ready to drink (had a 1/2 bottle; 70 DM), longish fruit finish.