Wine of the week - Haut Espoir Gentle Giant 2006

The first time I tasted this wine it was from a bottle that I had won. Some dude called Rambowine was having a competition on Twitter where you had to identify a restaurant's bathroom from a photo he had taken with a cellphone. I ended up guessing Reuben's in Franschhoek and 24 hours later I was holding a bottle of the Gentle Giant 2006 from Haut Espoir. Lovely...

Since then I have learnt more about the mysterious Rambowine (real name Rob Armstrong) by following him on the TV show, "Way of The Warrior". On the show his determination and passion for life was obvious and this comes through clearly in his wine. Upon completion of that first bottle (which was the same night by the way) I have made a point of ordering the stuff whenever I can find it. It's a blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. So some strong flavours are involved. The smell is spicy and reminds me of  poached plums. In the mouth it is incredibly smooth, with cracked peppercorns and even a bit of aniseed coming through - like crushed fennel seeds or star anise. Very skooch. 

A great way to enjoy this is with a simple, grilled ribeye steak. Use plenty of black pepper to stand up to the spicy wine. 

You're welcome. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who