Un Jardin en Méditerranée (2003)
by Hermès

For me, Jardin en Mediterranee is the masterwork of the Jardins series.

The main fig note is sharp and strong right from the first spray and lasts all the way through to the drydown. Other notes in the composition are not as immediately apparent, and I'm not sure how many people are familiar with fig wood. On paper (and on my wife) there is a feminine garden theme here that is pleasant and unique but not special.

On my skin, however, Mediterranee becomes woodier and slightly alcoholic. Whiskey in oak barrels, a Maker's Manhattan with a slice of fig in place of the cherry. There is just enough floral to keep this unisex in feel, but I feel manly wearing it (I don't know a lot of women who want to smell like they have been drinking bourbon before dinner.)

Mediterranee is distinctive and beautifully done, even better than Tom Ford Extreme, which smells similar to me at twice the price. From personal experience, Mediterranee smells very differently on different body types. And since most men will give this a pass on first sight of the pretty bottle, or first whiff on paper, I feel confident I am wearing my figuey whiskey barrel scent all alone in the world, which I like.

28th November, 2011.

My first experience with UN JARDIN EN MEDITERRANEE was sufficiently positive to motivate me to acquire a purse spray (15ml). Since then I have to confess that I have not reached for this fragrance often. There is something about the opening which reminds me of a cross between WOMANITY and PLEASURES, both of which become annoying to me after a short while. Figs, peppery florals, and a vaguely wet quality conspire to reproduce something along those lines, at least for a short time.

I don't think that this composition is really annoying, but its first stage reminds me of an amalgam of two rather annoying fragrances, so I'm not all that enthusiastic about it. (Could be Pavlovian, I suppose.) Fortunately, the cedar and cypress take over shortly thereafter, at which point I really warm up to the fragrance as a whole. Still, I don't really like being reminded of WOMANITY and PLEASURES every time I spray this on.

I must say that I am fascinated by the range of receptions to this composition. The people who dislike it appear to detest it! I certainly don't find it unwearable and vile (as do some) but neither do I consider it a "must have," as do its ardent fans. I won't be acquiring a larger bottle of this creation, as I'll probably never deplete my small supply. For those looking for advice, there's no point in attempting to navigate all of these conflicting evaluations, since this one clearly manifests itself differently on different wearers: do try before you buy!

28th September, 2011.

This absolutely marvelous perfume opens with a warm burst of bergamot and orange blossom and instantly evokes images of sun and sea, a truly pictorial frag. As Un Jardin begins developing, the tantalizing green note of fig leaves takes hold and continues throughout development into the drydown. Happily, the frag’s subtle sweetness never dominates, but holds a nice line. The scent continues with a lively quality that is zingy without sharpness, and the white oleander emerges with a winelike, lightly spicy presence. The scent is wonderously layered and cohesive. Eventually the frag becomes more soft and round with a slightly sleepy sensuality, with the fig wood and cedar somewhat more pronounced, but not intense. The sillage is moderate, moving through the air lightly but with a nice strength. Some say the sillage is not very good, but I disagree. I found the scent to have excellent longevity, but as others have mentioned, after several hours it moves much closer to the skin. Hours later, a final surprise: a very soft white musk presence reveals itself. For me, this is a very happy scent, and it was love at first wear. Without a doubt it is a truly great three-season frag, hopefully a year-rounder. I’m interested in seeing how it behaves during Chicago winters. For me, one who is usually drawn to dramatic scents, this is a welcome alternative in my wardrobe. I think it would be quite interesting on a man.

22nd July, 2011.

Jean Claude Ellena shows off his artistry with this first in the garden series of exotic green mysteries - Un Jardin en Mediterranee. Is this a safe trip through exotic garden or an unpredictable adventure down a road less traveled? Nothing in the fragrance is common or ordinary, which lends an authentic air about it. There is a natural green randomness about the scent that I like. The opening is an invitation to a nice day with orange blossoms wafting through the soft bitterness of green fig leaves and woods. This is a very natural, green fig plant with leaves and dry sweet woods. Almost a tartness to the fig that is intriguing. The central character of this exotic scent is sweet dry but green fig wood which stays throughout the development. The smell is exotic, very mediterranean, very green with an innocent wisp of sweet delicate floral blossoms at the finish. The wisp of mystery florals at the base is white oleander, one the most poisonous plants on earth, every bit of the plant is deadly except for the slightly sweet, exotic and innocent fragrance of its white flowers. The fragrance works best in moderate warm climate and seems out of place during winter, and is completely at home in sultry heat.

8th July, 2011.

I wanted to like this, and was hopeful, but still can't get on board. I liked the fresh top notes, but after 10 minutes all I smelled was citrus scented windex glass and surface cleaner.

25th April, 2011.

The first time I tried Un Jardin en Mediterranee I found it kind of unbalanced. To my nose the rosemary note on top was colliding with the fig leaving me perplexed and challenged at the same time. I tried to understand this composition several times with bad results.

Suddendly I started to think about my childhood and all the summers passed running with my bicycle on the hills close to the seaside. The sun was really high embracing everything with its warmness, emphasizing the smells and mixing all the typical summer odors together. Dried grass, marine bushes, fig trees,sweat, rosemarys, sun rays, sea salt and tomatoes blended in an unique fragrance by the August hot temperature. In this context I can say JC Ellena managed to perfectly recreate the mediterranean environement composing an "hot" scent...just like summer.

An interesting work, but I still don't like it.

12nd April, 2011.