2 barrels produced - hard to find due to winery list sale allocations.

During his early days in Napa Valley, winemaker Randy Hester had the good fortune to work with many highly acclaimed winemakers such as Andy Erickson, Michel Rolland, Mike Hirby, and Helen Keplinger. Today, Randy has his own label and serves as winemaker for Lightning Wines. The Lightning wines are Rhone-inspired and made from the heart, born of passion and an ambitious dream to make wines as exciting to talk about as they are delicious to drink. There’s just something unforgettable about a well-made Grenache. This 2014 Lightning Wines Grenache fits that description and will delight fans of this world-class varietal. A great example of how California Grenache should taste.

Rhone-inspired and made from the heart, Lightning Wines are born of pure passion and an ambitious dream – make wines as exciting to talk about as they are delicious to drink.

A warm inland area just north of Napa Valley, Lake County represents a new frontier for California winemaking.

Very light aromas of rose petal, hibiscus and light cherry emerge with patience on the nose of this very restrained bottling. The palate is all about texture, with hints of cinnamon, rosewater, cherry foam and gravel, a hint of strawberry paste emerging on the finish. MATT KETTMANN

All "Besson Vineyard" fruit - 100+ year old vines on Hecker Pass between Gilroy and Santa Cruz. 30% whole cluster. 11 months in neutral oak, frequent batonnage. Nice interplay of fruit and earth: flavors of ripe cherries and candied apples are tamed by tea, soil, stony minerality and a saline note on the finish. Bright acidity gives the wine focus and velvety tannins lend the wine depth. Just 48 cases produced.