Rusina
Alexander Valley AVA
Double Gold Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Just northwest of Cloverdale in the Alexander Valley is a quaint 20-acre mountain top vineyard planted exclusively to premium Cabernet Sauvignon. The estate is owned by Corinne and Charles Reichel and is part of a 400-acre ranch that was originally purchased in 1948 by Corinne’s grandfather. After years of grape growing, the Reichels decided to make the leap to becoming vintners. They chose to focus on just one wine, with a name that would convey the tranquility and escape they felt each time driving the winding country road up to their mountain top vineyard: Respite. In order to showcase the full potential of their premium fruit, Corrine and Charles brought in the celebrated husband-wife winemaking team of Denis and May-Britt Malbec. Their extensive knowledge in viticulture and winemaking has helped guide the direction for the Respite project and their combined experience truly sets them apart in the industry. Denis was the third generation of his family to work as Cellar Master for Château Latour, the renowned French wine estate, and his wife May-Britt has been named the Best Sommelier in the Nordic Countries while also serving on several sommelier judging panels. Respite Wines has all the elements for success, and with their inaugural vintage of 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, the proof is in the bottle.
