Laboratorio Olfattivo
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cardamom hits with immediate warmth, sharp and slightly mentholic, whilst elemi resin adds a turpentine-like brightness that catches in the back of the throat. Labdanum and saffron emerge simultaneously, the former contributing amber-tinged stickiness and the latter a powdery, metallic spice that prevents any sweetness from establishing itself.
The two frankincense varieties bloom into something genuinely complex—the Somalian strain cuts through with crystalline, almost medicinal clarity whilst standard frankincense weaves in honeyed resin. Cypriol arrives with unexpected freshness, introducing hay-like greenness and a mineral dustiness that feels almost architectural, whilst black pepper adds a subtle burn that keeps everything from settling into comfortable warmth.
Ambermax and cashmeran create a soft amber bed, but Virginia cedar and gaiac wood refuse to let warmth dominate. The fragrance becomes increasingly woody and abstract, the resinous elements thinning into a barely-there trail of incense smoke and pencil shavings, lingering as an intellectual gesture rather than a sensory one.
Sacreste is liturgical without being pious—a fragrance that smells like you've just entered a dimly lit chapel where centuries of incense smoke have steeped into the stone. Luca Maffei constructs something genuinely austere here, built on a foundation of competing frankincense profiles that create an almost argumentative quality: the Somalian variety leans crystalline and slightly bitter, whilst the standard frankincense adds honeyed resinous depth. The cardamom and saffron in the opening refuse to sweeten this; instead, they act as seasoning for something savoury and ecclesiastical, their warmth reading as spice-cabinet austerity rather than culinary comfort.
What's remarkable is how the cypriol in the heart—that hay-like, slightly mineral iris root—prevents Sacreste from becoming a one-note resinous drone. It introduces a cerebral, almost dusty greenness that suggests stone floors and aged wood rather than incense as a standalone gesture. The black pepper contributes a subtle prickling sensation, preventing the composition from ever settling into comfortable languor. This is a fragrance for contemplation, worn by those who appreciate complexity that doesn't announce itself, who understand that true depth sometimes feels like restraint.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.8/5 (104)