Champagne de Bois (2008)
by Sonoma Scent Studio

Another example of not-so-harmonious modular perfume-building, Sonoma Scent Studio CHAMPAGNE DE BOIS combines the SSS wood and amber notes with a dash of aldehydes to produce a perfume which, predictably enough, smells initially a lot like aldehydes mixed with amber and wood. My own preference is for a limpid, bright and shiny aldehyde presentation. Here what we have is a rather dark oriental perfume with an essentially amber drydown and a short-lived aldehyde opening. Doesn't really compute for me. Even the wood notes end up dissipating in the wind leaving behind only a monolithic layer of amber. Which is fine, of course, for what it is, but what this composition is not is anything evocative of champagne. Désolée.

12nd July, 2011.

Well, who could resist a name like that?
This little sandalwood beauty was a pleasure to wear. I did not get a hugh blast of aldehydes in the opening, but just enough to start off on a light foot. Almost immediately, the sandalwood drifts in, spicy and not too sharp. I can smell cloves, but something is softening up both the clove and sandalwood (jasmine maybe?). I don't really get distinct floral notes, but just a blend of the listed main ingredients. After hours and hours of this beautiful, woody spice mixture (more sandalwood than spice), a hint of amber creeps in to coast through till the end. Overall, maybe a bit linear, but a very nice sandalwood scent throughout.
I got about 7 - 8 hours and then still going as a very subtle skin scent.

There is an obvious comparison to Bois des Iles, and yes, they do smell similar. Chanel's aldehydes kick up more, it is more floral and the spices are a bit different. I actually think the sandalwood note in Champagne is more pronounced and a bit drier.

Champagne de Bois is a very pleasing sandalwood fragrance that I would highly recommend to lovers of sandalwood fragrances. Unisex also.

15th May, 2011.

When this developed on me I had one thought: Organza Indecence, the discontinued version which I just tried a few months ago.

This dries down to a similar warm, resinous wood mix with just a touch of edge. i know there aren't that many notes in common between these two, so i'm not sure what i'm picking up on.
(warm spices and woods most likely, as Mals brings up)

This is a good one; i really enjoyed it. The opening is OK, it doesn't get going for me until the 45 min mark. Good longevity, too.

19th July, 2010.

Notes:
aldehydes, jasmine, clove, sandalwood, labdanum absolute, vetiver, amber.

A couple of minutes into the initial spritz, a mild fizzy effervescence makes its appearance as the exposed aldehydes draw in the atmosphere to breathe life into the floral and vetiver blend. Interestingly, the restraint imposed by Erickson on the top notes makes the opening of CHAMPAGNE DE BOIS feel more like the drydown of a classic floral-dehyde, rather reminiscent of Chanel No.19 EDT IMO.

I don’t really get much jasmine in the development but sense its subtly indolic presence nonetheless, lending a softer more feminine contrast to counterbalance the darker leathery feel of the labdanum absolute. Weaving in and out of this base are soft notes of light spices and woods.

But wait a minute...what's this? Cuir de Russie?? It seems a heavier application imbues the soft leather with an almost animalic character despite the absence of civet or castoreum from the listed notes. While the composition is not entirely original, I'm rather blown away by its well-executed homage to the great Chanel classics, at least for a respectable 2-3 hours before it dries down to an ambery sandalwood. Hmmm...sandalwood. Time for Bois des Iles perhaps?

13rd January, 2010.