Just Design – Plaisir de Merle Charles Marais

Plaisir de Merle is an imminent Franschhoek wine estate that stands for uncompromising French winemaking tradition. The brand radiates old-world sophistication, embellished with elegance and vintage glamour.

When the brand set out to add an icon tier to their wine stable, they worked with their longstanding packaging partners at Just Design to develop a conceptual territory, variant name and ultra premium packaging.

Just Design immersed themselves in the history and stories of the brand to find the perfect match for the brief. Working through a series of options, they arrived at a rich and fitting narrative: creating a noteworthy tribute to the 17th century Huguenot founder of the Plaisir de Merle estate, Charles Marais.

The label centres on a handwritten signature, which was created in collaboration with a calligrapher working from actual samples of Charles Marais’ handwriting.

To reflect his honour and stature, our design team adopted a layered approach to packaging. The immersive journey of experience begins with a black Wibalin box, subtly embossed. Opening to reveal a proud bottle silhouette, wrapped in fine tissue paper detailing the brand story and wine credentials, finished with ribbon ties and sealed with wax.

The label is printed on cotton rich paper with an embossed French-style border, gold foil and a monotone colour palette. The use of burgundy creates subtle standout for the handwritten signature. The rich heraldic history is further explored in the De Wet griffon and symbolism.

Plaisir de Merle Charles Marais reflects the brand character: embodying the French heritage in the rich details and beautiful crafting. The overall result is a pared down, elegant wine label; where texture, print finishes and premium cues set a new benchmark for icon wines. A representation of true luxury.