Wakefield The Legacy

Design: Denomination
Project Type: Produced
Location: Australia
Packaging Contents: Wine
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Glass

South Australian-based family-owned winery, Wakefield Wines, will release a rare, ultra-premium wine to celebrate 50 years of winemaking on 1st May, with standout packaging by drinks design specialist Denomination.

The wine celebrates the founding purpose of the South Australian family winemaker, which was to craft new world wines to rival those of the old world, particularly Bordeaux. Taking inspiration from these wines, ‘Wakefield The Legacy’ is predominantly cabernet sauvignon, with small parcels of merlot and cabernet franc. The wine hails from the exceptional 2014 Clare Valley vintage, which saw a long, cool ripening season ideal for cabernet sauvignon. Limited to just 1,080 bottles, this wine is also incredibly rare.

Wakefield Wines briefed Denomination to develop a unique commemorative package that would not only celebrate 50 years of winemaking but also the three generations of family that have built the business to where it is today.

Luxe looks
For Wakefield Wines, with a number of high-end wines in its portfolio, there is a growing recognition and appreciation of the brand within the luxury fine wine sector. ‘Wakefield The Legacy’ was to represent the very pinnacle, not only in its winemaking but also in its presentation. As a modern wine company that has always been innovative and forward thinking, it was important the packaging reflected this. Wakefield Wines wanted to give its customers an exceptional experience and Denomination certainly delivered.

Bottled art
A sleek tapered bottle sits within a bespoke highly polished metal sculpture. Three slightly twisting pillars, engraved with the signature from each generation of the family and representing the upward growth of vines, cradles the bottle. When the wine has eventually been enjoyed, the sculpture remains as a stunning object d’art.

Covetable collectable
Glimpsed through the sculpture is the bottle adorned with the Wakefield logo of entwined seahorses, which were crafted by a master jeweller in sterling silver and rhodium. An innovative tamper-proof NFC (Near-Feld Communication) device has been applied to every bottle to reassure collectors of authenticity as well as to record and track each individual bottle’s cellaring history. The device is carefully concealed and protected by a bespoke overcap, which can be removed when a hidden pin is released.

The entire package is housed in a japanned timber case, complete with information booklet and a certificate of authentication, signed and hand-numbered to emphasise the limited release.

Rowena Curlewis, CEO, Denomination, says: “From the outset we wanted to create something that would be truly desirable and utterly contemporary. We aimed to elevate this offering so that it could become the centrepiece of any fine cellar, and that years after the wine had been enjoyed the consumer would still have on display a beautiful sculpture to remind them of their experience with the wine.

“The care and craftsmanship over a four-year period – engineering details, solving incredibly complex problems with elements that, to the eye, seem so refined – has been a great challenge, but the results speak for themselves.”

Mitchell Taylor, Managing Director, Wakefield, says: “We wanted to celebrate our 50th anniversary by creating a wine that embodies our heritage and our vision for the future. A new world wine inspired by the great wines of the old world that would become a true family legacy. Denomination’s work communicates that we are producers of some of the finest wines in the world”