Maître Parfumeur et Gantier
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The first spray delivers a sharp, almost camphoraceous blast of lavender cut with myrtle's green, slightly medicinal bite. It's bracing and unexpectedly herbal, the aromatic oils still volatile and singing in the top register before they settle into the resinous warmth waiting beneath.
Within the hour, labdanum unfurls in all its sticky, ambered glory—leathery, honeyed, with coumarin lending a dried-hay sweetness that feels both rustic and refined. The vanilla and nutmeg create a spiced custard effect without literal gourmand tendencies, whilst the balsams begin their slow, resinous climb from the base.
What remains is pure, unadulterated amber—the Peru and Tolu balsams melding into a caramelised, faintly smoky skin scent that's simultaneously cosy and church-like. The labdanum persists with quiet tenacity, leaving a golden-brown trace that smells of old wood, beeswax, and time itself.
Ambre Précieux is Jean Laporte's love letter to labdanum, that dark, leathery resin that forms the backbone of every proper amber accord. This isn't the polite, powdery amber of modern safe-blends—it's feral and monastical at once, opening with a medicinal slap of lavender and myrtle that recalls apothecary jars and French pharmacy shelves. Within minutes, that aromatic sharpness sinks into a honeyed, almost animalic labdanum that's been bolstered with coumarin's hay-like sweetness and vanilla's creamy depth. The nutmeg adds a dusting of warmth without veering into kitchen spice territory, whilst the Peru and Tolu balsams bring their characteristic caramel-resinous richness—sticky, slightly smoky, utterly enveloping. There's an ambergris-like quality humming beneath everything, though whether it's actual ambergris or the impression created by the balsamic triumvirate is difficult to parse. What strikes you most is the balance: this fragrance is undeniably sweet, yet the lavender-labdanum axis keeps it grounded, almost austere at times. It's the scent of someone who wears vintage jewellery as everyday pieces, who finds comfort in church pews and old books. Layer it over wool in autumn, wear it to evening lectures, let it seep into silk scarves. This is amber for those who find most amber fragrances disappointingly thin—Laporte understood that true amber should feel like substance, not suggestion.
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3.9/5 (121)