Médoc Château launches 75-cl ’boxed’ wine

he owner of Château Rollan de By, Jean Guyon, made a huge splash at Vinexpo some twenty years ago by displaying a stand entirely covered with 3-litre wine boxes. In a format until then reserved for everyday drinking wines, his 5 growths were put proudly on display, each decorated with an exclusive pattern by the fashion designer Escada. When young Bordeaux wine merchant Charles & César suggested a new formula of “fine wines by the glass” to him, he didn’t think twice – boxed wines have a well-known track record for storing wines, plus they can be recycled. The novel aspect this time is that the chosen format contains 75 cl and is concealed in a vertical cardboard box, the same height as a bottle, so that it can be stored on the shelf with other bottles and not boxes. The tap is slightly smaller, to reflect the proportions between the air and the wine.

Jean Guyon explains why he is so enthusiastic: “The system is ideal for a fine wine. I tested it over several months. I may do the same with other labels, even Haut-Condissas” (his rarest wine). Charles & César believes the box is a way of reaching new audiences, particularly younger generations. Target customers are both individuals and restaurants, but also airlines, likely to be drawn to the reduced weight of the box (810 g). The extra cost of the packaging is between €1.50 and €2 and both sides are absorbing the supplement so that the new box can be sold at the same price as the bottles.