Pop-Up Gift Box Tells 12th Century Love Story

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The limited-edition Chêne Bleu gift box can be personalized by inscribing a name on the a banner that hangs inside the box. The box was eight years in the making and was designed by packaging designer and engineer Claire Middleton in collaboration with Chêne Bleu’s principal Nicole Rolet. It is inspired by medieval traveling theaters, as well as the much-loved pop-up books from Rolet’s  youth. The box also contains a secret drawer that can be filled with a further keepsake or love letter, and can be lit from the interior by special request.

Every facet of the gift box is illustrated by woodcut artist Jane Randfield with whimsical medieval-meets-modern iconography. This is in keeping with the style of the ninth century priory at the heart of the wine estate and also with the edgy, maverick nature of the new winery growing on old roots.

The limited-edition Chêne Bleu gift box can be personalized by inscribing a name on the a banner that hangs inside the box.The “chêne bleu” (blue oak tree) is illustrated on the front of the duck-egg blue box—at the estate, a blue oak presides regally over the vineyard, forest, and medieval priory. Its branches were treated with bouillie bordelaise, the blue-green solution used to protect organic vineyards during a drought in 2005. It stands as an artistic metaphor for the philosophy of the Rolets’ mission to highlight the integrity, beauty, and history of the site, enhancing and reinventing it without changing its essence.

Hidden rabbits on the box are a nod to the complex ecosystem that surrounds this remote, wild wine estate, and fantastical medieval-meets-modern characters adorn the package in reference to different aspects of the joys, journeys, and adventures that mark us and unite us as people.

Explains Rolet, “This gift box is very personal to me, as it seeks to illustrate some of the cornerstones of our family’s journey into the wild heart of winemaking. I wanted to showcase what is most important to us. The site has fantastical qualities that have the power to connect anyone who visits with greater truths about the meaning of life—a sense of place, a deep respect for the land and its history, but also the importance of making a commitment to never accepting the status quo, to push boundaries, to keep seeking improvement for the benefit of others.”