Morgan & Owens The McPhails' 425-bottle wine pantry contains some Old World favorites. Even as frontline food workers in New Orleans, power couple Tory and Britt McPhail find themselves at home more than ever. Coping with COVID-19 turmoil, Tory and Britt—executive chef at Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Commander's Palace and a wine sales rep, respectively—have needed to create a sense of peace at home. Take a look inside their Greek Revival–style home, and find your own design inspiration!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 94 points • $125 • 125 cases made A ripe, dense, dark-profiled Cabernet, with notes of fig and blueberry reduction inlaid with alder, sassafras and licorice root details. Features an alluring, creamy mouthfeel, ending with a swirl of menthol and a tug of dark earth on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2036. From California.—James Molesworth
WineSpectator.com Members
SPONSORED CONTENT One of the top Cabernets of a benchmark vintage, Groth 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, is grown on the family's Oakville Estate in an area described by James Molesworth as "the filet mignon of Napa Valley." This 96-point collectible, noted for its longevity and mineral character, is a "focused and refined Cabernet with an intense, fruit-driven core." Elegantly powerful now, this wine will be a real stunner in 10-15 years.
Ask Wine Spectator Q: Is it true that Madeira never goes bad, even after the bottle has been opened? I love Madeira, so a bottle never sits for very long, but why doesn't it fade like other wines?—Steven, Andover, Mass. A: Madeira has a well-earned reputation as a long-lived, bulletproof wine. Not only is it fortified, but it's also high in acidity, which is a stabilizing factor, and it's made in an oxidative style, which is where some of the wine's nuttiness comes from. That last point is especially key, because oxidation is usually the enemy when it comes to an open bottle of wine, but in the case of Madeira, the process already happened—on purpose.
And while heat can ruin a normal table wine, it's the magic formula for Madeira, which is either heated in a tank or left in barrels to age in naturally warm rooms. For those who've never tasted Madeira, it's intense and sweet, with notes of toffee or caramel, dried apricots and toasted nuts. Once it's open, you won't notice it fading to dried fruit and nutty flavors, because that's already how it's supposed to taste.—MaryAnn Worobiec Have a question about collecting? E-mail us. Browse our archive of previous questions & answers.
Matt Morris Backus vineyard's full potential may yet to have been realized. Wine Spectator website members: Senior editor James Molesworth recently visited Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa and toured the storied Backus vineyard. He tasted the 2018 Backus and Insignia cuvées side by side, along with a few older vintages. Get the tasting notes!
Courtesy of Monte Rosso Vineyard / Courtesy of The Wine MVP Coming up: Monte Rosso's Brenae Royal and "NFL Wine Guy" Will Blackmon. Check out our Instagram Live series, "Straight Talk with Wine Spectator," for virtual chats with super chefs, winemakers, somms and more, airing every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. ET! Throughout August, we're highlighting Black voices in the wine business, from wineries, distributors, restaurants and other aspects of the industry. Watch our latest episode with Vision Cellars owner Mac McDonald, and don't miss Monte Rosso vineyard manager Brenae Royal on Aug. 11 and "NFL Wine Guy" Will Blackmon on Aug. 13. Check out past conversations, see the full lineup and tune in!
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