Wine Icons
Wine Icons of Wanderlust
At Wanderlust Wine, our primary objective is to find boutique producers and collaborate with them as their exclusive partners in importing their wines to the UK. Regardless, we also wanted to offer exceptional wines from winemakers who are considered pioneers of organic and biodynamic viticulture and winemaking. These legendary names have been a great inspiration to us as importers, and most importantly, they have influenced our wine preferences and younger producers we work with.
To ensure that we can fully trace the bottling history and storage conditions of these aspirational wines, we have sourced library vintages from collectors, investors, and the producers themselves. The result is a collection of wines that you can enjoy along with the amazing, small, sustainable-led producers that we import. It is like having a “library of greats” at your fingertips!
France
As one of the most iconic Champagne houses, Billecart Salmon needs little, if any, introduction. But many won’t know that it is one of the few historical maisons to remain truly independent and family-owned: the seventh generation of the founding family is now at the helm of the estate and is still the guardian of the house’s uncompromising quality. Having just celebrated 200 years of history Billecart Salmon is a hallmark of elegance and finesse, expressed in each of its renowned cuvées.
Read more
Champagne Bruno Paillard has long been synonymous with elegance and finesse throughout their range. Since first launching in 1981, the Maison has been a firm favourite on the export market, with UK critics in particular praising the “silkiness” of vintage and non-vintage wines alike. Now into their 5th decade of production, focus remains on expressing the true freshness and balance of great Champagnes, whilst pioneering sustainability initiatives in this most famous of wine regions.
Read more
Didier Dagueneau’s premature death in 2008, aged just 52, left an irreplaceable void in the wine world and consolidated his legend status. His son Louis-Benjamin has since taken up the mission of preserving his father’s legacy and carrying on producing some of the world’s most unique expressions of Sauvignon Blanc.
Read more
Guy Roulot pioneered single-vineyard bottlings in Meursault and a winemaking style marked by distinct minerality and filigreed aromatics. Following his premature death, his son Jean-Marc, then pursuing an acting career, took the helm of the estate. Jean-Marc would consolidate Roulot’s iconic status by building upon his father’s legacy and committing to pure and expressive winemaking. No wonder their wines are considered some of the world’s finest.
Read more
Jean-Louis is the 16th generation of the Chave family making wines in the Northern Rhône. His father Gérard expanded the family’s holding to the current mosaic of prized vineyards from which their unique range of estate bottlings are made. Their work has effectively set the modern benchmark for the Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations.
Read more
Château Beaucastel might just the be most renowned estate from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In addition to producing world-class wines, the Perrin family have long been regarded as pioneers in their innovative approach to organic farming since 1950 and then biodynamic farming since 1974. The tradition of excellence and innovation continues on today.
Read more
Alain Graillot is one of the icons of the Rhône Valley. A small producer who has stuck to his morals on low intervention, classical old school techniques and the need to be “organic, without the fuss”. We have been a huge fan of his through the years and we are delighted to offer some of his wines alongside our other iconic producers.
Read more
It is impossible to think of the wines of Côte-Rôtie without having the Jamet name as absolute reference. The work done by Jean-Paul and Corinne, now carried on by their son Loïc, has redefined the appellation’s style and potential, revealing a finesse some might have thought impossible to achieve.
Read more
Often referred to as ‘Languedoc’s Château Lafite’, Mas de Daumas Gassac stands as a true icon of French wine. Since the first vintage in 1978, renowned wine critics, the likes of Hugh Johnson, Robert Parker, and Clive Coates MW, have praised the wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac for their remarkable elegance, finesse, and complexity.
Read more
Lucie (Lulu) Tempier and Lucien Peyraud not only built the name of one of France’s most iconic estates but also played a central role in establishing one of the world’s most recognisable appellations, Bandol. Theirs is a story of commitment – to each other, their estate, their region, their friends – and to the joys of life!
Read more
Italy
Very few producers can claim to have established benchmarks for a whole region, a production method, a viticultural approach and the expression of multiple grape varieties. Such is the case with Josko Gravner whose legacy is, above all, a lesson on how to live the ‘good life’.
Read more
Spain
Considered one of the world’s most talented (and restless!) winemakers, Raúl Pérez is among the leading figures of the so-called ‘New Spain’ movement and was instrumental in putting the Bierzo region under the spotlight. His wines are, just like him, full of character, straightforward and unpretentious.
Read more
Portugal
It’s impossible to count all the projects Dirk Niepoort is developing, either directly or as mischievous instigator, both in Portugal and internationally. His endless curiosity and passion for terroir have fuelled the creation of an impressive range of iconic wines, through which he revolutionised the winemaking legacy of both his family and country.
Read more
Lebanon
In 1930 a young and entrepreneurial Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar, pioneering organic viticulture and fine winemaking in Lebanon. A deep passion for his home country’s historical wine tradition and for Bordeaux and Rhone varieties were the foundations of what would become one of the world’s most iconic estates.
Read more
Germany
Man, landscape and grape reach a perfect harmony in Egon Müller, both as an individual and winemaker. His wines, made with fruit from some of the Mosel’s most prized plots, are unanimously placed among the world’s best expressions of Riesling.
Read more
Hungary
István Szepsy might now be considered the ‘Lord of Wine but he has never rested on his laurels. His story is one of relentless commitment to quality and research. As an heir to the family that effectively put Tokaji on the map, he’s taken the region’s recognition and winemaking standards further with his permanent quest for purity and terroir expression.
Read more
USA
Jim Clendenen graduated with High Honours in Pre-Law but his great mind was destined to other things. One month in Champagne in Burgundy changed his life forever and marked the beginning of what would become one of California’s most highly regarded wineries.
Four Stanford Research Institute engineers partnering to make wine with a ‘pre-industrial’ approach? A philosophy graduate that would become one of California’s most iconic winemakers? A unique range made exclusively of single-vineyard wines? There are many unconventional aspects to the excellence and cult status that Ridge has achieved. But the most important thing is that the wines speak, undeniably, for themselves.
Read more
Grace Family Vineyards is the pioneering cult winery that first put Napa on the map, planting their own 1-acre front lawn with vines in 1976. What would become of their wines would surpass what they could ever imagine. It is now known as much for its outstanding wines as it is for its philanthropic ethos. Incredible, historic and iconic.
Read more
In 1978 Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler founded Kistler Vineyards to materialise an idea ahead of its time: that terroir-driven, single-clone wines could and should be made in California. This is the principle that guided Kistler at its inception and remains true today, in a constant pursuit of precision, expressiveness and elegance.
Read more
New Zealand
Central Otago has become a hotspot for premium Pinot Noir, second only to Burgundy, and Felton Road are much to blame. By committing to biodynamic practices and low-intervention winemaking they make pure single-vineyard (and single block!) expressions – of Pinot Noir as well as Riesling and Chardonnay – that have become world-renowned and highly sought-after bottles.
Read more