An Haut Medoc and a Gran Reserva (and Copilot)

As promised, a spring post. In this post, I am reviewing one wine from my Virgin wines purchases (a Spanish Gran Reserva), and one from my Boulogne purchases (an Haut Medoc). But before I review the wines, I will go to a different, non-wine related ‘in praise of..’ topic.

In praise of…Copilot

Last summer I bought a new laptop. My old one was Windows 10, and I always declined the free upgrade to Windows 11. Better to have a laptop designed and set up to run on Windows 11. I needed a lighter weight one to travel to the US for my cousin’s 60th birthday party. I used Chrome as my default browser on my older laptop, but have not even installed Chrome on the new one, and I am keeping the system default browser, Microsoft Edge. The main reason for this is….I love Copilot. I have been using it extensively to find all sorts of useful, mainly work related information. It is fantastic.

Before reviewing the wines, I would want some very basic information on what is a Gran Reserva, and what is an Haut Medoc. I would have typed these wine names into Google search, and got links to various websites to select to get more information. I still think that this is a good idea to get more detailed information. Some of the sites that I have found, such as Wine Folly and others, are very good to get more detail. But for this post, I just wanted some quick and basic information. So I just go to Copilot, and type in ‘Gran Reserva’. Instead of copying and pasting text, showing a screenshot of what came up.

For the Haut Medoc, I added a bit more to the query (included in first image, two images to show full Copilot response).

So with some basic information about the wines, onto the tastings.

Haut Medoc

• Pierre Chanau Haut Medoc 2021
• €7- €8 at Auchan (lost receipt, I will update on exact price when I next go to Auchan Boulogne)
• 12.5%

Aroma: A nice full but not overpowering aroma. Berry fruity scents.

Taste: A really good full bodied taste without being too strong. Nice rich oaky flavours.

Paul

Aroma: Fruity

Taste: Smoky nice and warm, full-bodied, very nice.

Johny

Pizo Gran Reserva

• Pizo Gran Reserve 2017
• £14.99 from Virgin Wines (but I got reduction on large purchase)
• 13.5%
• Eaten with Indian food

Aroma: Lovely and rich.

Taste: Spicy flavours, depth and strong but delicate flavours, very nice

Paul

Aroma: Strawberry fruit.

Taste: Compliments the samosa well. Very nice, spicey and compliments spicy food.

Johny

Conclusions

I said it at the beginning, and I will repeat it again here. I love Copilot. It is great for basic information but you do then have to research some topics further if you want more details. Copilot also provides links.

When, you might ask, was Copilot incorporated into Microsoft Edge. I don’t know, but I know how to find out.

So easy to find out that it was introduced to Microsoft Edge less than a year ago last May. And the way that AI works, it will only get better.

However, I still recommend some of the wine sites that I have put in links to in previous posts.

Here is information about the Pizo Gran Reserva from the Virgin Wine site (but remember, they are wanting to sell the wine).

“The jewel in the crown of what has become a mainstay range of great value Spanish vino.
Three years ageing in barrel and two years in bottle before the eagerly anticipated release.
The maturation process develops hugely complex aromatics of balsamic, prune, toasted nuts and vanilla.”

And of course, for wine, there is no substitute for tasting yourself and forming your own personal opinion.

I really liked both these wines. I am not normally a fan of Spanish red wines, but, as mentioned in Copilot ”These wines are considered among the best quality wines in Spain“. And I agree as my two favourite wines that I have so far purchased from Virgin wines are this Pizo and the Torre Aguila (reviewed here). Both are Gran Reserva wines.

Also I am not a massive fan of most Bordeaux wines. With the exception of the more expensive ones, I think that a lot of wines trade on the ‘Bordeaux’ name to produce wines that are not good at the cheaper or mid-priced range. Cote de Rhone wines I find to be a better buy at the lower price range. At the slightly more expensive range, I find St Emilion wines a bit too heavy, and I only have with a steak or strong meat dish. But I really like the Haut Medoc. I have had others before (not reviewed) and find them full on flavour without being overpowering or too heavy or strong (this one is 12.5%). Again Copilot stated ” the Haut Medoc region is responsible for many of Bordeaux’s best-value wines” And I have to agree with that. I will be buying these wines again. Both the Gran Reserva from Virgin Wines, and the Haut Medoc from Auchan when I am next in Boulogne. (And I will get the precise price).

Talking of Boulogne, planning to pop over in early April to check on the house, do some painting, and of course, buy some more wine. Stay tuned.

(And yes, those are photos of David Hockney in background of the wine photos).