Saura: the wine born from rock

AGENCY Estudio Maba
CLIENT Bodegas Saura
MATERIAL Fasson® rNaturel Blanc FSC® and Fasson® Cotton White
PRINTER Coreti Etiquetas
ILLUSTRATOR Tatiana Proca
DESIGN Miguel Angel del Baño and Mayes Imbernón
STRATEGY Beatriz Suarez
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Miguel Angel del Baño

Located in the region of Murcia, Spain, Bullas is a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines which covers the territory of eight different municipalities, including Caravaca de la Cruz. Since Roman times, this region had produced bulk wine up until the 80s, at which point private wineries began investing in the production of bottled wine. Until finally, the area was granted DO status in 1994.

Caravaca de la Cruz itself is a place rich in culture, history, and wine, as illustrated in its annual Festival Of Wine Horses and the celebrations of the Santísima Vera Cruz. In the 13th century, the Templars were said to have managed to bring wine on their horses to the castle of Caravaca in order to prevent the inhabitants from drinking poisoned water - giving rise to their tradition and love of wine to this day.

Bodegas Saura is one of the prestigious wineries in this area. Located at an altitude of about 600-900m above sea level on a farm in the mountain of Caravaca de la Cruz, it takes advantage of the Mediterranean climate. It is known for its variety of fauna and vegetation, which coexist with small vineyard terraces embedded in the forest. A unique aspect of Bodegas Saura is that its philosophy is rooted in the desire to respect nature as a means of appreciating its contribution to the production of wines. 

And it is this tribute to nature that had to be woven into the design narrative for the wines by creative agency Maba. “Since the wine ferments in fossil stone tanks extracted from a nearby quarry, the wine label aims to represent this wild nature through its design, which mimics a bas-relief carved into the rock to illustrate the wine's process”, explains Miguel Angel del Baño, Creative Director at Maba.

The Bodegas Saura wine family currently consists of three wines - Mesías, Cogevientos, and Cauro Ventum. There is a slight darkening of the tone of the stone on the label that distinguishes the range as well as the color sealing of the cork. As part of the brand's promise to pay homage to its surroundings, each bottle's label conveys a different yet similar theme featuring wildlife, nature, and grapes.  “The label for Cauro Ventum, the entry-level wine, is printed on Avery Dennison’s  Fasson® rNaturel Blanc FSC®, which creates a perfect canvas for a fresh and almost dreamlike illustration by Tatiana Proca”, says Miguel Ángel del Baño. “The two high-end wines labels, Mesías and Cogevientos, are printed on Fasson® Cotton White, which has a beautifully rough texture that resembles fossil rocks, with bas-reliefs that represent the surrounding terrain”. 

In the end, Maba and Bodegas Saura were able to create a project that tells the authentic story of not just the land and environment in which the wines are harvested but also the values and philosophies of the brand. A delicate yet well-rounded summary of the true essence of a wine born from rock.