For its ultra-premium Cuvée Rabelais launched this month, Cognac Frapin called on agency Partisan du Sens for the packaging design. The rounded decanter appears as if suspended, supported by a metal base gilded in 24-carat gold.
The latest limited-edition of Cognac Frapin’s Cuvée Rabelais hit the market this month. “We wanted to recount the singularity of the maison and the concentration and evaporation that time brings to the liquid,” Gérald Galdini, Design Manager and CEO of Paris-based design agency Partisan du Sens tells Luxe Packaging Insight. “The decanter looks to be almost levitating, while the base makes it a sacred and exceptional object.”
The crystal decanter is the work of Cristallerie de Saint-Louis: the glass is blown, cut and then decorated by hand in 18-carat-gold. Its rounded base, whose design evokes cognac barrel bands, features a series of concentric half circles. These are obtained through varying the thickness of the glass to evoke the concentration of aromas, the passage of time and the “Angel’s Share”. On the facing, Cuvée Rabelais is engraved and infilled in gold, while a vine motif engraved on the neck of the decanter is then enameled gold by hand. Once fired, the color difference between the glossy gold of the neck and the vines becomes apparent.
A decorative crystal stopper that echoes the form of the bottle is molded in a single piece and enameled gold on the sides. A gold transport stopper was also created.
Each individually numbered carafe – which weighs in at 1.3kg – is supported by a satin-finished zamak base (Segede) gilded in 24-carat-gold. Small cushions on each side hold the decanter in place.
The cognac is housed in a wood and leather coffret (DLCOM) whose insert is sheathed in leather and features a gold plexiglass plate. The base is oak wood veneer, while the matte and glossy lacquered MDF lid is screenprinted with tone-on-tone graphic lines. On the facing, the brand and product name are hot-stamped in gold.
“This project was a real challenge,” concludes Galdini. “The idea was to create a consumer ritual with the decanter, and recount the cognac’s rich history through the design. On a technical level, several suppliers had to work together on a single operation. As the decanter has to be stable on its plinth, parameters like thickness, size and resistance made for a complex development. We not only had to take into account technical constraints with the glass, but also with the base: each material has its own tolerance and they must coincide.”
DecanterCristallerie Saint Louis
BaseSegede
CoffretDLCOM
DesignPartisan du Sens
