Alice Feiring

With his wife, Pierre now operates Champagne Larmandier-Bernier on biodynamic principles, and is one of the very few in the region working with indigenous yeast.

I told her my shortlist: Selosse. Françoise Bedel. Raymond Brigandat. José Dhondt. Fleury. Pierre Moncuit. Camille Saves. Davide LeClapart. Jacquesson. Jacques Lassaigne. Leclerc Briant. There are plenty of alternatives to the Yellow Labels and Moëts of this world. And, in a pinch, I am also quite fond of Bollinger and can drink Pol Roger, too.

Or, perhaps he just liked taking the spotlight, because he must have known that there was a group of old-timers and anti-barrique boys that included Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Fenocchio, Teobaldo Cappellano, and Bartolo’s own cousin Giuseppe Rinaldi.