Nobile (1988)
by Gucci

I miss this fragrance a lot in 1988 I purchased it at marshall fields in Chicago it was my signature fragrance for many years to come later I seen a bottle on ebay and picked it up . But now It's near impossible to find this fragrance please bring this one back ....

10th May, 2013 (Last Edited: 14 May, 2013)

Nobile opens with an aromatic blend of bergamot citrus and lavender with a lime-like tarragon and rosemary herbal undertone. As Nobile enters the heart phase of its development, the early bergamot citrus recedes but the aromatic herb-laced lavender remains, coupling with a tremendous oakmoss note rising from the base joining balsam fir as co-stars with an additional rose and carnation floral supporting duo joining the lavender. In the late heart, the aromatic lavender slowly dissipates but the oakmoss and fir still remain through the dry-down now in support, as a relatively dry amber and non-smoky vetiver duo takes the fore to finish off the scent's development. Projection and longevity are both excellent, with the scent lasting 10-12 hours on skin.

Nobile is one of those rare aromatic fougere scents from the past that just can't be released today due to oakmoss restrictions. The very green herb-laced oakmoss and fir combo with floral support is absolutely captivating and dominates for most of Nobile's key development before turning to resinous amber late during the dry-down. The official note list is very long and quite frankly I am sure I missed a whole bunch of them, but Nobile just smells great, plain and simple. It unfortunately commands a price just as high as how good it smells nowadays due to its discontinuance long ago and the scarcity of remaining bottles on the after-market. That said, those looking for a reference aromatic fougere should look no further than this 4 to 4.5 star out of 5 classic by Gucci.

26 January, 2013

In Nobile the opening is the archetypical supreme-quality chypre. With a bright and sharp lemon-lavender blast that is penetrated by amazing oakmoss, which is followed by vetiver and rosemary. The drydown develops into a wood base, with a distinct pine note with a bit of non-sweet tonka added. At that stage silage and projection are excellent, but after the first ninety minutes this shining glory implodes and the wood notes dominate albeit close to my skin. Nonetheless, the fougère begin is supreme and deserves a thumbs-up. Overall longevity on me is about four hours.

05 December, 2012

Absolutely loved this from the first time I smelled it in the store back in the late 80's. I couldn't afford the four ounce bottle at that time, but I went through at least three of the one ounce bottles with that original bottles that came without a cap, just a huge spray top, and a couple of the next generation one's as well. When they discontinued it I had about 3/4 ounce left that I parsed out over the next ten years or so whenever I got too desperate to resist. Luckily, a few years ago I found a reputable dealer on ebay that was selling Nobile bottles still wrapped in the original cellophane. I managed to land several one and two ounce bottles for reasonable prices. Even found one of the original bottles. It's still right at the top of my list of green fragrances. The lavender and vetiver/moss notes are nothing short of divine. I give it two thumbs up, five stars and a sheet full of gold stars.

06 March, 2012

Yes, I'll take this one please. Gucci Nobile is a fantastic green fougere. The crisp, citrus/lavender/green opening of Gucci Nobile is very similar to Bowling Green, although I also detect a hint of Tsar and Jazz clamoring around in there. And yes, Drakkar Noir hovers ever so close but dares not enter Nobile's air space. The mid notes are wonderful, with a predominant floral/green accord. The fir note helps balance the entire mid note composition. The basenotes are green/woodsy, mossy with a touch of smoke. Nobile is a classic fougere that has sadly passed on to the Isle of Souls of Discontinued Fragrances. Makes me want to slap some Rachmaninoff in the CD player.

30th November, 2011 (Last Edited: 01st December, 2011)

You are running through the wild fields, interlaced with rows and rows of pine trees, there is a light dusting of snow on the ground, the air is cold, and a strong smell of balsam fir lingers in the air. You are an excited child searching for the perfect Christmas tree just a couple weeks before the magical date.

Next I am warped to a hot, sunny, mid-summer day drinking a freshly squeezed and oh-so sweet glass of lemonade after a hard day’s work.

These are the first memories this scent teleports me back to. It ignites memories in my mind of sweet ecstasy and longing in my childhood.

Within an instant, after this first experience, my mind goes through a rabbit hole of a journey, all the while echoing sounds of Motley Crue’s “Kick Start My Heart”, until these words are uttered: sophistication, confidence, class, and utter sexiness.

In my mind this is a scent that the likes of Gregory Peck, Sean Connery, John F. Kennedy Jr., Marlon Brando (think a Streetcar Named Desire), and Humphrey Bogart would wear. And on top of all this, with all of these strong emotions and memories rattling inside my brain, in the fringe of my mind I constantly get this dark and mysterious vibe that really gives this scent even more of an edge. There is a reason why this is rated so highly, even more so by women that I know. If you could put a good (or bad depending on your take) romance novel into a bottle, this would be it.

My signature scent.

A couple caveats to warning this fragrance:

1. Strictly for men...I couldn't picture a woman wear this
2. Age must be 25+, this fragrance says you’re a man, if you’re not of age you would look foolish to wear it, a non-congruent fragrance with a younger physicality.
3. Those in the temperate locations may appreciate this scent more than those in tropical locations, due to the memories associated with the scent.

Scent: 10/10 (An absolute masterpiece that starts of with a pine/lemon/tobacco opening and mid notes then settles down to a nice amber dry down)
Longevity: 9/10 (4 sprays, 2 wrist, 2 neck will last you 8-10+ hours)
Sillage: 7/10 (4 sprays and others will notice when standing a couple feet away from you)
Versatility: 10/10 (can be worn with friends, when hanging out with the guys and, with your s/o, great in winter/fall, even better in summer!)
Uniqueness: 10/10 (smells very unique unlike anything else I've smelled before)

16 October, 2011