Bacchus Toast, Parfum d’Empire Salute !

I have never been to Corsica before but it surely is on my bucket list of places I’ll visit someday. Perhaps my visit to Southern ends of Italy falls the closest in terms of climate and atmosphere. Partly I’m exploring this island through fragrance for Parfum d’Empire, one of my favourite niche brands, is deeply rooted in the Corsican heritage of its founder, who shares his childhood scent experiences with us now. The latest collection called L’Heritage Corse we can get even closer to that region.

Salute ! opens with a citrus accord that combines mandarin, grapefruit and lemon. But if, like me, you expected to smell something juicy and optimistic right here, you are in for quite a surprise. These citrus notes have a surprisingly dry scent, kind of succulent. As if someone squeezed out all the juice and allowed the fruit to dry slowly. The resulting fragrance intrigues me as this dryness has some alcoholic qualities… think of the way gin is shown in perfume. There’s also an element of dust to it.

Once the opening calms down the perfume continues to evolve. After some time Salute ! invites you to step into the vineyard. The air has a Mediterranean smell, warm and humid and as you walk between the alleys of ripening grapes you notice how still and thick this air is. But the smell? The entire area is surrounded by the green, sappy scent of vine leaf. Then comes the wine tasting experience but this new Parfum d’Empire fragrance does not smell like wine on its own.

Wine lees is what perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato used in his composition. This wine-dreg extract brings to mind the idea of some rose tones drenched in eau de vie with its rustic, alcoholic, somewhat yeast-y scent in the back. Salute ! as a perfume is alive and changes, just like a bottle of wine that needs to rest in the cellars to unfold its full potential. Speaking of the cellars, that’s another part that is being explored in this fragrance. So let’s continue this vineyard tour, shall we?

As we descent down the olfactive pyramid of this perfume we discover the presence of iris. Nor is it glamorous nor beautiful. It’s dry, slightly peppery and more reminiscent of ash (like in Aedes Iris Nazarena) or dust – this would be a better comparison. It’s like a grey dust covering the cellar shelves and wooden casks. It’s murky in here, smell of wine and oak wood barrels is everywhere. Oakmoss gives Salute ! an earthy vibe while musk is a source of toned dirtiness that fits in here.

Smelling Parfum d’Empire Salute ! gave me a lot of fun. There are quite many fragrances inspired by wines, liquors and alcoholic beverages but many of them are quite literally exploring the synergy of how they smell and taste. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato took a different approach and showing us a bit of the terroir. His grandfather used to produce his own wine too. Thanks to this perfume I was reminded of a visit to a local vineyard during one of my summer holidays. Cheers! Salute!

Just the Sea & Me, Parfum d’Empire Acqua di Scandola

Going back to the ocean of perfume, you might notice how many different creatures dwell in this submarine world of scent. They come in different shapes and sizes and behave quite differently. Many fish swim in schools and they go with the current, seldom some swim against it. Only a handful follow their own path. A bit like Parfum d’Empire – not the biggest one, not the most flashy and colorful of them all, moving at its own pace. But it’s exactly those brands that have a vision and creativity, that in the end is the most memorable thanks to the fragrances they offer.

Acqua di Scandola invites you to its Mediterranean world with a satisfying and wholesome citrus note that to my nose is an orange. (though some sources say lemon) A perectly round orange with a slightly grainy peel. It’s not completely ripe, still having a delicate green blush in some places. It smells photorealistic, just as if you could grab the fruit by reaching up with your hand. The scent it exudes is complex, made up of several citrus elements. There’s a zest of peel, sweetness of the pulp and juiciness of the flesh. Hints of orange tree leaf and twigs too. It simply is a whole fruit.

There’s also something dry-ish humming in the distance, like hay or tarragon. Whatever it is, it immediately lights up the ‘it smells familiar’ button in my head. The opening of Acqua di Scandola brings the idea of our old friend, Azemour – a perfume that is widely loved and considered a role model for the family of citrus fragrances. But the fragrance gradually evolves, developing its own identity instead of relying on its predecessor. Juniper berries with a thin layer of aldehydes underneath create a cold impression of metallic freshness, like gin & tonic served at the beach.

Even though I said that juniper introduced a cold element, orange gives enough of a Mediterranean sunlight to Acqua di Scandola, so that the perfume feels warm and embracing. Over time we take a dive into tourquoise waters. A charming accord of seaweed emerges, giving a new quality to this scent. It’s green and fresh in a very unique way and there’s something quite elegant yet carefree about the saline smell of the sea spray. On my skin this algae & salt phase never feels overpowering. It’s quite the contrary, its a perfect harmony of well-handled ingredients.

Over the next hours the smell becomes lighter, airier, blending with the skin. Acqua di Scandola is, simply said, a summer charm, a promise of a lazy day at the beach. In its later development stage it becomes more mineral, crystalline – just imagine droplets of the seawater drying in the sun and leaving some white marks of the salt that crystallized. There’s also a nice, moist facet evoking wet rocks, and the smell of green – a little bit of basil, geranium and oakmoss, an emerald blanket on top of the rock. The picturesque imagine is now complete, inviting you to visit the very place.

Acqua di Scandola was developed by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, owner & perfumer at Parfum d’Empire. Among other novel marine compositions, like Acquasala (Gabriella Chieffo), Un Air de Bretagne (L’Artisan Parfumeur), Acqua di Scandola sits perfectly in this theme, at the same time offering a little bit of something else than the rest. It’s a beautiful perfume, a very dreamy one. And it comes from one of my favourite brands which is quite a recommendation already. The perfume is a part of L’Heritage Corse collection and comes in 50 ml bottles of eau de parfum.