Route du Vétiver (1988)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

This is an excellent vetiver. It smells organic, dry, and almost akin to a forest floor. However, to me at least, it still isn't in the same league as Lalique's Encre Noire, which almost seems "alive" with its ability to beckon one's interest throughout a day of wearing.

27th December, 2011.

Let me first say that my comments here are for samples of RdV obtained in 2011. Other reviewers are convinced that RdV was reformulated in the recent past. I have no personal knowledge of whether this did or did not happen though i suspect it did. I love the way Rd V smells when I'm in the mood for it. A beautiful blend of mouthwatering black currant and smoke. There is definately musk underneath. When you wash RdV away the musk stays in your skin for quite a while. I love reading the horrific negative reviews of RdV, the "urine-soaked reeking butlers" type of stuff. Great entertaining stuff. Was RdV like that before? I can't say. I can say that my samples of vetiver oil are not unpleasent at all, pungent and smoky to be sure but perfectly pleasent smelling. So I don't get the horror of RdV though I do like reading about it. I hinted before that I'm not always receptive to RdV. Sometimes the berry thing is just too much. But a very fine scent overall.

15th December, 2011.

I cannot describe this as it's fantastic in a very unique way. It definitely screams Laporte.
Sure, it's got vetiver, and it's also got patchouli, but beyond that I'm at a loss. And even those two notes that I can identify are presented differently than I have ever smelled them before. It's earthy and outdoorsy and even a bit wet, but it's also extremely refined and sophisticated and yes, very French.

The bottom line is that RdV is magical, and my only issue is that I'm going to need to smell the current version to make sure it's as good as the sample that I received which I am assuming is vintage. If it adds up I'm going to buy a bottle.

I can't do vintage hunting anymore.

14th December, 2011.

The name of the scent is eloquent, this one is an untamed rooty vetiver blended with herbs, roots, woods, dark fruits and a bit of final powder (frankincense) just in order to rise, soar and separate the molecules of the  earthy botanic elements than ready to fly as a dusty wind of wet earth. Surly fragrance. The beginning reminds me a bit that one of another untamed vetiver, the Etro's one that is a bit more aromatic, green and mild fragrance. This kind of starting, may be too daring, is almost off-putting because is harshly herbal and decidedly medicinal due to the rising influence of some bitter-mild fruits (may be obscure berries). The initial turbolence starts slowly to lower its strength while a woody kind of mildness and the dry dust of frankincense start rising. The final dust, lost the fruity-medicinal temperament, projects in the air a slightly resinous, woodsy and mild-bitter whiff.

1st July, 2011.

As a vetiver lover I've been encouraged many times to try Route De Vetiver and when I finally decided to face it I discovered an extremely compelling fragrance. RDV's opening is possibly one of the best representation of vetiver available on the market. Earthy, extremely bitter, wet. I never smelled vetiver's roots myself but i have the feeling that if you extract them from the ground after a couple of rainy days, they'll smell exactly like RDV's opening. My little "disappointment" (not exactly the right word) comes with the drydown where this fragrance tends to be similar to another masterpiece of the same family such as Sycomore. Don't get me wrong, Route De Vetiver is an outstanding scent, but if you're already familiar with Sycomore, it may result somehow redundant.

I've heard there's a vintage version of this composition that seems to be even more extreme/uncompromising and I'll do everything is possible to put my hands on it.

1st May, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th September, 2011.)

Closest thing to dried vetiver roots I’ve ever smelled in a perfume. Captures the dusty, arid quality of dried soil on roots. Vetiver, along with sandlewood, frankincense and a handful of other non-floral botanicals, can stand on its own not only as a scent but as a fragrance. RdV takes this path and goes straight to the root. It remains undistracted and doesn’t try to highlight any particular facet (eg. licorice) or complement (lemon), just the whole root-cellar vibe. Feels a bit searing in a nice, powerfully dry way as it goes on, but then calms down on a fairly linear course to a low-sillage, intimate scent.

11th February, 2011. (Last Edited: 16th February, 2011.)