Monsieur Rochas (1969)
by Rochas

I have never seen nor smelled the new edition but I have fond memories of the vintage Monsieur Rochas I have discovered in college in the early 70's. I loved the sweet spiciness of the middle notes and the deep warm sensuous base notes. To me, Monsieur Rochas was the ideal fragrance to wear after ski in front of the fireplace while drinking hot spiced wine in good company. Not a summer fragrance!

18th January, 2012.

This review is for the vintage yellow eau de cologne and not the new pink EdT:

Monsieur Rochas lives up to its reputation as 1960s/1970s men's orientalized fougere featuring all the trimmings. MR is clear and convincing, genuine and legitimate. Monsieur is an orientalized descendant of the long lost Fougere Royale and possibly a precursor to the ultimately brilliant Belgravia by the Dukes of Pall Mall. Monsieur Rochas opens with a citric blast of lemon and bergamot followed by the typical lavender-geranium-tonka accord that defines the genre. Rochas is dressed up other interesting elements such as carnation, cedar, patchouli, and galbanum. The galbanum adds a smokey, tobacco scent in the base, which I'd deduce employs genuine oakmoss. Monsieur Rochas would fit a more cosmopolitan French aristocrat around the turn of the century rather than a country gentleman.

26th December, 2011.

Smoky fougère. When's the last time you heard those two words together? I'm referring to the vintage version of MR so I can't comment on the current batch. Guy Robert composed this shortly before he crafted Hermes Equipage which is somewhat similar to MR. In MR, Monsieur Robert takes the classical fougère structure and adds a tobacco-like accord to the mix. According to the "official" note pyramid, there's no tobacco listed in the juice so the smoke is either an illusion or a combination of other accords. There is mastery and alchemy here. I smell also cinnamon and that's not listed either. The effect of MR is like stepping into a comfortable drawing room where smoke remnants have soiled the leather upholstery, ladies are soaked in lavender and carnations have been collected in a vase on the coffee table. It's a joy to still be able to find vintage MR where the ravages of time have not erased this treasure. I just wish Monsieur Robert would've been imitated as fougères went the safe and clean route years after rather than the nuanced and elevated example Monsieur Robert forged with MR. The possibilities are endless.

7th September, 2011.

Review for the reformulated version. A nice opening with aromatic herbs and lavander. I also get some cinnamon in this phase. After a while it turns to a soapy middle phase that's quite conventional and not particularly interesting, yet pleasant. In the drydown I get oakmoss, patchouli and vetiver. Nice and quite classic but maybe it lacks in personality.

Note: The reformulated version of Monsieur Rochas comes in a generic and unremarkable bottle with a shocking pink liquid inside. Ugly.

22nd May, 2011.

My review is for the vintage EDT concentree version.

Monsieur Rochas has a fascinating sequence of early accords, each one more interesting than the last, and it remains assured, composed and impressive throughout.

At various stages it is reminiscent of the original Dunhill for Men, just more aromatic, fresh and potent. Whereas Dunhill becomes light, sophisticated and even a little contemptuous, Rochas Monsieur is deep, rich, dark and charismatic.I am particularly fond of the carnation note in fragrances of this type, it lends a slightly spicy, earthy feel to the proceedings, giving it that familiar aromatic baked feel.

For its class, potency, invention and sheer quality, this remains one of my favourite aromatic fougeres.

31st August, 2010.

Concentree edition review:

It starts out with a blast of flowers, chamomile and sage standing out the most. Then the scent transitions to a cooling-like accord, almost breezy and calming. It's a pleasant and classy scent.

17th August, 2010.