Cologne Sologne (1989)
by Parfums de Nicolaï

A good traditional citrus cologne. High quality. I like it better than AdP Colonia. Longevity is what you'd expect. Probably in the top tier of the genre, but still nothing ground-breaking.

7th August, 2011.

This may be my favorite eau de cologne. Stronger than 4711, less salty than Jean Marie Farina (which also ranks high), and less floral than another favorite, Richard James Cologne. It could also stand in as a Gendarme-type soapy scent. It opens similarly to 4711 with a very brisk lemon (seems like both peels and flowers), lavender and rosemary. It has just a bit of the creamy spiciness of the lemon in Allure Edition Blanche, and gets more sour over time until the citrus blossoms finally return far into the base. Most importantly, though, it stays stronger for longer than most others in this family, and takes longer to progress. The only drawback is that it has a bit of a Mugler Cologne-like slimy soap residue aura far into the drydown, but it's not much.

17th January, 2011.

Notes: Bergamot, Lemon verbena, Grapefruit, Tunisian neroli, Rosemary, Myrtle, Sandalwood

Cologne Sologne (CS) is another traditional but successful stop on my EDC/Cologne style tour. The Parfums de Nicolai site promotes CS as the most expensive fragrance in the PdN line. No doubt that is probably mostly due to the Tunisian neroli in the formula and not the bottle (looking at you here, Guerlain ...).

CS opens with a bright citrus melange of lemon verbena and bergamot, before a plush, light yet ever present cloud of tangy, floral neroli comes forth. Some very light herbs in the form of sweet-herbal rosemary and a very tiny drop of camphorous/wintergreenish myrtle lend a teeny bit of contrast to the citrus-neroli accord. A couple of hours later a soft, slightly sweet sandalwood base materializes and cushions this pleasant splash-on experience.

CS smells good, does nothing out of the ordinary, showcases a good neroli note, and is reasonably priced. I feel that its citrus top heavy notes lack the fireworks of something like Neroli Sauvage, and there are other fragrances to look at if you want a more forceful neroli/orange blossom accord. In structure I find it similar to Nina Ricci's Signoricci (new formulation) due to the lemon top although that fragrance is louder and woodier (due to copious amounts of petitgrain and woods). Nevertheless Cologne Sologne is a solid and safe offering if you want a cologne fragrance from the one Guerlain family member still active in the business..

Rating: 8.0/10.0

12nd July, 2010.

Brisk green notes, bittersweet citrus and smooth lavender open Cologne Sologne in the classic eau de Cologne manner. Some woods, orange blossom, and additional aromatics appear in the background, but again in traditional eau de Cologne manner, there isn't much more to the development. Cologne Sologne is very smooth and nicely balanced, but I don't find much that's unique or individual about its composition. Nice, but no more than that.

11th December, 2009.

I've got to say that PdN Cologne Sologne is probably the best pure neroli cologne available today and at an excellent price, too! This cologne is neroli-centric and does not pander much to the more tangy aspects we have come to expect from other great traditional colognes like Farina Gegenuber, Lorenzo Villoresi, and Extra Vieille. Cologne Sologne, named after a marshy plain in central France (though drained in the 19th C by Napoleon III), emphasizes the purity of high quality Tunisian neroli along the other citrus aspects playing a mere supporting role. There's not much development or complexity, but who would want it with such beautiful neroli?

22nd November, 2009. (Last Edited: 18th July, 2011.)

Nice cologne. Good office wear. Very linear. Nothing special.

19th November, 2008.