Samson Estates is nestled among the berry farms and pastures of rural Whatcom County, with the Mount Baker foothills in the distance. The tasting room staff is very friendly, and Samson’s wines are definitely worth the drive. As with most local vineyards, they source for their veritals (the Samson line) from Yakima and Columbia Valley. The Seven Horse Hills Merlot and Seven Horse Hills Syrah are stand-outs. They also produce a lovely dry Riesling and a nicely balanced Chardonnay.
But Samson’s real strength lies in their fruit and dessert wines. The fruit and nuts are mostly grown on-site in Everson, and are sweet without being cloying. These are not perfume-heavy wines without depth, they are very complex. A particularly great dessert wine is the Oro, a hazelnut dessert wine that pairs perfectly with chocolate, vanilla and crisp fruit. The Cassis Black Currant Port makes an exceptional dessert wine as well, and is the perfect complement to sparkling wine for a great kir royale. The Blu blueberry dessert wine is surprisingly complex, and goes well with pies and cakes.
Chocolate Necessities in downtown Bellingham keeps a supply of the Delilah series on hand for pairing with their chocolates. There’s a reason Delilah has won Samson armloads of awards — the wines are exceptional. Even if you’re shy about sweet dessert wines, you should take the picturesque drive out to Samson Estates and try them — they might surprise you.
1861 Van Dyk Rd, Everson
360.966.7787 | samsonestates.com
