You need a whole lot of conviction to go the distance with fortified wines.
After all, this is a style where decades, not years, define the quality of the drop.
That’s why wineries have been moving away from small-batch, barrel-aged stickies for years. And we get why. The level of maturation, long-term cellaring and blending required is not for the faint-hearted.
But our friends at Maxwell Wines were up for the challenge.
We first met this plucky producer in 2017, when they engaged us in a rebrand. Maxwell has always done things their way, at their pace, producing premium red, white and Mediterranean-style table wines as well as pioneering traditional honey meads.
Next up is a highly anticipated fortified selection that has been years in the making. Aged slowly and beautifully, under ideal natural conditions in an incredible underground barrel hall carved into limestone, these wines are something else.
Drinks design for fortifieds done right
We were honoured to be tasked with bringing three new SKUs to life, including Rare Old Tawny, limited to just 1200 bottles.
As a drinks packaging design agency, this was exactly the kind of brief we love: a category featuring a “tortoise and the hare” tale of endurance as well impeccable best practice.
In true luxury drinks branding style, we showcased an impressive lineage and a grand story of patience, perseverance and exclusivity that fortifieds are so rarely afforded. Every decision, from typeface to embellishment, was approached with the same fervent storytelling and originality we bring to all our wine label design work.
All three varietals have been designed to take centre stage on any shelf (ironic, considering how long the wine hid deep in the ground).
Please welcome the newest members of the boutique preservation club.
