In this issue, Dan Keeling reports on a 25-vintage vertical of Romanée-Conti, organised by the domaine to mark the reprint of Richard Olney’s seminal book Romanée-Conti: The World’s Most Fabled Wine. “As all wine lovers can attest, the last glass is often the best, and as the tasting winds down I return to my half-drunk set of wines,” writes Keeling. “There’s over half a million quid’s worth of BONA FIDE ROMANÉE-CONTI around the room. So watcha gonna do?” We wonder...

Also in this Issue…

+ Jon Bonné sketches Australian wine’s new generation.

+ Dan Keeling profiles the northern Rhône’s mystical Château Grillet.

+ Alice Feiring sees how Georgia’s ancient wine traditions are moving with the times.

+ A spotlight on this season’s most on-trend grapes.

+ Marina O’Loughlin heads to Porto to marvel at its gastronomic delights, and

+ the Rotters team re-watches and rates the best and worst films about wine.

+ much more

Another delicious, action-packed slice from the Noble Rot crew. The special guest this time is one of the UK’s most iconic chefs. On the cusp of his 60th birthday, Noble Rot profiles St John’s Fergus Henderson as you’ve never seen him before. Sticking with the nose-to-tail theme, Henry Harris pens a tribute to offal in Earn Your Tripes. Also, in this issue, editor Dan Keeling profiles a selection of revolutionary growers challenging the status quo of France’s outdated appellation system—Jean Marie Guffens, stand up and take a bow—and Alice Feiring reports on Hokkaido’s emerging wine scene. There’s even an article on sausages, metallurgy and wine that makes you want to pack your bags and take a plane to Claremont-Ferrand. 

But that's not all:

• Battle of the Somm by Jon Bonne
• Cloud and Proud by Simon J Woolf
• Kitchen Kabinett by Ed Wilson
• Educating Peter [Crouch] by Dan Keeling
• The Vine Twitcher reaches Bordeaux

If you are into the anniversary gifting scene, traditionally it is tin or aluminium that is intended to commemorate the 10th milestone. Both are known for their inability to rust, and so it is with Noble Rot Magazine. Although gold might be a better fit in this case? To quote editor Dan Keeling, “from the first issue of Noble Rot, published in February [of 2013], we’ve been riding the tidal wave of change that’s been sweeping wine culture and, holy Hermitage, it’s been fun.” Of that, there can be little doubt. So, Issue 31 is a celebratory issue and a rollicking one at that. A decade’s worth of reflection, it's packed with the usual articulate contributions from a typically illustrious cast of crazy diamonds. Kicking the celebrations off is Marina Hyde, a columnist who epitomises the phrase, ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’. Marina O’Loughlin then offers an engaging narrative on the most influential restaurants of the decade and Mike D charts falling in love with Burgundy during the early days of The Beastie Boys in ‘The Hip Hop Burgundy Wine Cult’. 

William Kelley, Jancis Robinson and Alice Feiring are amongst a merry cast of writers reflecting on some of the wines that brought them joy over the last ten years—choices then tasted and given the seal of approval by, wait for it, The Chemical Brothers. Only in Noble Rot! Kate Spicer looks back on ten years of Noble Rot Sessions and assesses, “What We’ve Learnt About Humanity from a Decade of Noble Rot interviews” while Jay McInerney celebrates 60 years of Paul Draper’s Ridge Vineyards and Keira Knightley writes eloquently about her favourite meal. Then there are feature articles on Chassagne-Montrachet, Priorat, Oslavian Ribolla, wine auctions, digestifs, and the much-loved and missed wine importer Becky Wasserman-Hone. All up, a don’t-miss issue that is rot-to-trot.

In Noble Rot’s 30th Issue, Editor Dan Keeling asks, “Are the Sulphur Wars finally coming to an end?”. Keeling’s impassioned essay reels in the recent experiences of two talismans of the zero-sulphur movement, quotes the Bird (Charlie Parker) and, ultimately, argues for a cessation of hostilities. “We’re delighted that divisions over one of the most important methods for wine preservation and hygiene are fast giving way to a middle ground,” writes Keeling. Amen. 

Also in this issue…

Saint-Joseph with Jean-Louis Chave and Jean Gonon, a profile of Corsica’s Sciaccarellu grape, France’s tiniest domaines, culinary legends Angela Hartnett and Delia Smith, Alice Feiring on temporarily losing her smell, and Brawn chef Ed Wilson on Beurre Blanc with Muscadet (RIP The Green Man & French Horn). All this, and more words of wisdom from columnists Marina O’Loughlin, Simon Hopkinson and John Niven, among much more. 

Editor Dan Keeling has introduced the issue 29 as ‘a personal favourite for a while’. We can see where he is coming from. So many great articles: Keeling himself on Blind Tasting, Róisín Murphy talking to John Niven about her dad buying a shark down the pub, Jake Missing attempting to interview the king of interviewers Louis Theroux, profiles on Sherry, Vin Jaune and Cretan wine, and Alice Feiring’s brilliantly titled The Mouse of Ill Repute. And not to be outdone with the puns, Grower Pair sees Rob Walters back this month with an article reflecting on two pivotal Champagne vintages. It’s also worth noting the artwork in this Issue is in ‘best ever’ territory.