Pontaccio 21 (1999)
by Gianfranco Ferré

First, my main complaint is that did not last at all on me. It was rather brash in the opening with citrus and herbs but I paid no attention to it. I did not like the opening at all but I wanted to wait for a really great drydown like with other Ferre frags. This one did not sit very well. No drydown on me. not very exciting and unforgettable.

Very dry, very herbal, very retro. (If you like Sud Est, please queue up.) I find the cardamom in the opening notes a little off-putting, but I don't mind it so much as it does dry-down and tame itself pretty quickly.

There's quite a bit of sage here, too, hence the "dryness". There's also a bit of angelica in the herbal mix, thus adding a touch (but just a touch) of powdery sweetness to the final parts of the dry-down.

Very Italian stuff, but I, too, can see why this one wasn't a massive hit in this day and age. This ought to have been introduced during the late Eighties at the latest. if it is, in fact, discontinued, well, I'm not surprised.

Cool bottle, btw, with a chrome finish and faux alligator "wrap."

My Lord Pontaccio, cousin of the Earl of Aramis, nephew of the Duke of Chanel, rides through the castle gates. Dark riches in his baggage train: sacks of gold, of spices, of exotic woods, perhaps even a slight hint of slaughtered game. Many a lackey bows, many a maiden blushes. A scent of rough war and smooth politics, fortified palaces and sophisticated intrigues.

Just got this one today, not too bad at all! As mentioned before, it's a nice leathery floral. Although the initial blast is rather green, I think it would best be compared to Versace Black Jeans, if Black Jeans stopped being the loud, cold, anise-less cousin of JPG Le Male and it was toned down and made softer and warmer with a little bit of leather thrown in for the dry down.

It is hard to believe that this fragrance was introduced in 1999. It’s sooooo 80s! It begins with a strong and bright citrus and aromatic top very nicely done with cardamom and rosemary. It’s quite an aggressive citrus accord. The top notes last for an impressively long time, and then give way to a floral / green aromatic middle. The florals don’t hang around for very long and soon, with the drydown, the scent has become primarily green, with leather, patchouli, myrrh and musk for support. The dry down stays subtle and close to the skin. If I’m not mistaken, I can even get a fairly strong civet note in the drydown. OK, I’ll admit that there is no oakmoss in the drydown, but that alone doesn’t bring this into the late 90s. I can really appreciate Pontaccio 21—it is an excellent classic fragrance: full-bodied, long lasting, non-synthetic. It is not the most exciting fragrance, however and there are many classics that I would rather wear—Versace L’Homme, for instance.

I can understand why it didn’t sell very well: It was already twelve years out of date when it was introduced, and it was, perhaps, too traditional a fragrance for the Eternity, Cool Water generation. I changed my mind about it: It’s a good one.

Not a fragrance review, as I can hardly remember the juice itself. It was along the lines of Aramis, but even stronger if I'm not mistaken. Very italian and extremely herbally dry. What I love about P 21 is the incredible packaging! Oozes, power sophistication (much more than many of Ferré's actual garments) and is almost like a piece of architecture or fine furniture. It's a real pity that the fragrance doesn't deliever after the ultra high expectations I'm guessing this great rectangle evokes in many people. From a commercial perspective I can't understand the decision to launch such a heavy thing in 1999 btw?! So a big thumbs up to the flacon, neutral on the juice.