Beresan is one of the truly great, really small, producers in the Walla Walla Valley.  Owned by the Waliser Family, who have been farming the Walla Walla Valley since they emigrated from the Beresan region of Odessa, Ukraine, first to North Dakota, and then, during the dust bowl years, to Walla Walla.  Tom Waliser, the family patriarch is now one of the most respected vineyard managers in the area, and in addition to his own vineyards, is the vineyard manager for Pepperbridge Vineyard among others.

Beresan gets all of their grapes from the three vineyards that they own: Waliser Estate Vineyard and Yellow Jacket Vineyard in “the rocks” (an area of Walla Walla that lies over an ancient, pebble strewn river-bed, and was made famous by Christophe Baron’s Cayuse Vineyards) and Beresan Estate Vineyard, on a terrace surrounding the Waliser home, next to Pepperbridge Vineyard.    The fruit for the Semillon comes entirely from the Beresan Estate Vineyard, whose two acres only producers enough grapes for about 100 cases of Semillon each year.

Semillon, long thought to be one of the white grapes that Washington does best with, isn’t very popular.  Because of this, despite its potential, not much ends up being made.  However, when it is made well, Washington Semillon makes delightful wines, as is the case with this very limited bottling.

This wine sees no oak, yet has a delightful richness comes from the grapes themselves.  I also love the almost waxy texture that the wine has.  This is a great everyday drinking wine, because it goes with almost everything, but it is especially good with roast sweet potatoes, herb-roasted chicken, or hard cheeses.  This is a wine to enjoy now, but it also develops a pleasant nuttiness with age.  Drink now -2011.