  Alanna Hale Winemaker Philippe Melka tastes with Lail Vineyards owner Robin Lail. Wine Spectator website members: Philippe Melka is one of the most in-demand winemaking consultants in Napa Valley, with a client list of about two dozen boutique and elite names, including Robin Lail and Argentinian billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni. Senior editor James Molesworth recently tasted a fleet of Melka's 2017 Napa Cabs. "It's an impressive flight of wines in a vintage that is going to draw a lot of scrutiny for its Achilles heels," writes Molesworth about that year's heat wave and wildfires that occurred during harvest. Learn more about Melka's journey and get the tasting notes!
 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 96 points • $95 • 946 cases made Smoky richness accents the concentrated apple and peach pastry flavors, supported by steely acidity. Luscious spiciness emerges midpalate, with a long finish that lingers with intense minerality and sea salt details. Best from 2022 through 2027. From California.—Kim Marcus
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SPONSORED CONTENT  At Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, our goal is to create complex and age-worthy wines. Our signature style is one of artful balance between ripeness and restraint, softness and structure, that yields Napa Valley wines of exceptional beauty and long life. In celebration of our 50th anniversary, we're opening up our cellar and offering exclusive library wines so you can raise a glass with us today, tomorrow, or in future.
Ask Wine Spectator Q: Should wine shipments be deferred during the hot summer months?—Margaret, Hollywood, Fla. A: Good question. Please express any shipping concerns about the weather to the winery or retailer from which you've purchased the wine before they ship it, and ask if they have taken appropriate measures to ensure that wines are not subject to extreme temperatures during transit.
Some wineries won't ship wines at all during the hottest months of summer. But if you live somewhere where heat is always a concern, make that clear to the winery.
Some wineries may offer extra protection with shipments—additional insulation or expedited shipping, for example. I usually request that wines be shipped at the beginning of the business week so that they don't languish in a warehouse over a weekend. And be sure that someone will be available to receive the delivery at the wine's final destination.—MaryAnn Worobiec Have a question about collecting? E-mail us. Browse our archive of previous questions & answers.
 Robert Camuto Winegrower Alois Lageder (left) has been joined by his son, Alois Clemens Lageder. At 70, Alois Lageder, a fifth-generation winemaker in Italy's Alto Adige, is an icon of innovation in this small, mountainous region that produces some of Italy's most renowned white wines. In a two-part report from contributing editor Robert Camuto, Lageder talks about Robert Mondavi's early influence on his farming and winemaking and passing the baton to the next generation as his 46th vintage gets underway. In the past eight years, Lageder's son, Alois Clemens Lageder, 32, has helped him launch a new and even more daring era, including the rarities in the winery's "Comet" series. Find out what they are up to next!
 Courtesy of One Market Restaurant / Courtesy of Tribeca Wine Merchants Coming up: Tonya Pitts and Ben Aneff 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. Throughout August, we have been highlighting Black voices across the wine business. If you didn't catch it live, watch our chat with Terry Arnold, the senior vice president of human resources at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. Tune in at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 27, as executive editor Thomas Matthews chats with Tonya Pitts, the wine director of Best of Award of Excellence winner One Market Restaurant. Next week, on Sept. 1, we look at the challenges and opportunities facing wine sellers as news editor Mitch Frank talks with Ben Aneff, president of the U.S. Wine Trade Alliance and managing partner at Tribeca Wine Merchants. Check out past conversations, see the full lineup and tune in! Check out past conversations, see the full lineup and tune in!
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