Gentle Giant

When the time came to name our first red blend ‘Haut Espoir Blend’ simply didn’t feel right. The answer, in hindsight, was an easy one. Rob Armstrong, affectionately known to many as Big Rob or Giant, embodied the character and spirit the wine sought to express. 

At 6’6”, he cut an imposing figure, but he was also known for his warmth, generosity and quiet strength. He was a deeply intelligent and principled man, unwavering in his loyalty to those he loved, steadfast in his belief in doing things properly and honourably. A custodian of Haut Espoir whose presence was woven into the spirit of the farm and the wider Franschhoek community. Ever humble, Rob would joke that the wine was named after his bigger brother, or instead speak about the elephant he could see in the shape of Franschhoek Peak.

Long before people settled in Franschhoek, elephants would seek out this sheltered landscape, finding safety to calve in the fertile valley. From the cellar, one can make out the outline of a resting elephant in the mountain that rises high above the farm. It is a silhouette that echoes the story of the land, and one quietly reflected in the label: a tribute not only to the great creatures that once moved through this valley, but also to our own gentle giant whose life and legacy remain part of it.

The Gentle Giant is, in every sense, a wine of remembrance and belonging. Best enjoyed as Rob would have wanted: shared with good company, good food and much laughter.

Inspired by strength and gentleness, shaped by landscape, guided by legacy and rooted in a profound love of home.

 https://www.vivino.com/haut-espoir-franschhoek-valley-gentle-giant/w/1641055