Cerruti
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The pepper and cypress strike with immediate sharpness, a crisp salvo that catches the back of the throat pleasantly. Grapefruit adds a tart, almost metallic brightness, whilst nutmeg grounds the top with warm spice, but the overall effect is angular and austere rather than inviting.
The cardamom emerges with subtle heat as the peppery brightness recedes, but it's almost immediately claimed by the leather accord, which moves centre stage with animalic, slightly dusty character. The labdanum attempts sweetness, yet the leather keeps it restrained, creating a tense, compelling conversation between warmth and austerity that holds the fragrance at a compelling remove.
Vetiver and patchouli establish themselves with earthy insistence, whilst amber provides a whisper of honeyed warmth that prevents the base becoming entirely austere. The leather persists, now deeper and more suede-like, whilst a faint smoky quality emerges—the fragrance becomes increasingly intimate, almost skin-scent-adjacent, with spice and woody notes fading into a sophisticated, slightly aloof dryness that lingers for hours.
Cerruti Signature arrives as a study in controlled intensity—a fragrance that refuses to whisper. Nadège Le Garlantezec has constructed something deliberately austere, where the interplay between the spice accord and leather creates an almost tactile friction on the skin. The opening peppery-cypress combination establishes a sharp, almost medicinal clarity, whilst the nutmeg and grapefruit refuse to sweeten the proposition; instead, they lend a bitter, slightly astringent character that speaks to restraint rather than indulgence.
This is a fragrance for those who understand that sophistication often means rejecting comfort. The heart reveals cardamom interacting with labdanum—a combination that should theoretically produce warmth, yet here feels deliberately subdued, as though the spices are being held at arm's length by the leather accord. That leather sits heavy and animalic, suggesting well-worn suede rather than fresh tannery polish. It's a leather that's been weathered, creased by use, and rendered slightly smoky by time.
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4.0/5 (113)