I[ch8217]ve recently had the good fortune to be able to sample a few in Mazzolari[ch8217]s excellent line of scents, so I thought today I[ch8217]d begin with some observations on their Vetiver rendition.
Vetiver is a note that always brings a smile to my face, puts me at ease and basically gets me centered. I would hazard to say that I[ch8217]ve tried most of the vetivers that get frequent mention here on BN, and I[ch8217]m happy to say that Mazzolari[ch8217]s rendition is quite unlike any I[ch8217]ve tried before.
The opening is very bright and refreshing: bitter rinds of lemons and limes combined with high-pitched florals. Very pungent and heady without being in the least bit heavy. Solid and substantial, but in no way stolid, sober or over-serious. After 10 to 15 minutes, I[ch8217]m starting to get a very dry spicy/herbal midsection composed of a heavy dose of nutmeg, some black pepper and perhaps tarragon.
A half an hour into the drydown, and the Mazzolari is reminding me most of L[ch8217]Artisan[ch8217]s version, with its strong herbal associations and also of SMN[ch8217]s, with its bright, floral top notes. The Mazzolari holds its own, though, in that it[ch8217]s much brighter and much more summery than the L[ch8217]Artisan (with its Yatagan-like autumnal herbal-bouquet.) Compared to the SMN, the Mazzolari offers nowhere near the vetiver-overloaded assault of that fragrance (which is way beyond their advertised [ch8220]cologne strength[ch8221] [ch8211] try it, you[ch8217]ll see!); however, it still offers floral notes akin to those found in the SMN.
After an hour or so, sandalwood starts to surface and continues to get stronger during the drydown. The sandalwood is very dry and powdery and reminds me a lot of Etro Sandalo. Longevity is quite good: I[ch8217]m getting a solid 4-5 hours.
Overall, I feel that this is a vetiver that has been very carefully blended: the ingredients that Mazzolari has selected all seem to be notes that purposefully don[ch8217]t stray far from the [ch8220]vetiver vibe[ch8221]: they very skillfully play off of vetiver[ch8217]s inherent chameleon-like, jack-of-all-trades nature (is it woodsy? [ch8230] grassy? [ch8230] herbal? [ch8230] citrusy?). Mazzolari[ch8217]s high-pitched citrus rinds and florals mesh flawlessly with the vetiver[ch8217]s inherent citrus/grassy qualities. The spicy/herbal midnotes combine beautifully with the vetiver[ch8217]s herbal qualities. And, finally, the powdery sandalwood melds nicely with vetiver[ch8217]s deeper tones. All told, I[ch8217]m finding a very nice tension in how the vetiver melds with all these diverse notes [ch8211] I keep finding my nose asking, [ch8220]Where does the vetiver end, and the other notes start?[ch8221] (They just mesh together so well and all seem to amplify and expand on the qualities inherent in the vetiver.)
In spirit, Mazzolari[ch8217]s vetiver brings to mind Goutal[ch8217]s: don[ch8217]t get me wrong, there[ch8217]s positively no iodine, seaweed or driftwood here, but there is something about the dryness and herbal-floral effusiveness in the Mazzolari that calls to mind a bluff overlooking the ocean. A bluff at the height of summer and on a breezy, sunny day, with all those grasses and wildflowers getting swirled about together. I[ch8217]d say it[ch8217]s as easy to wear as Racine, but packs a few more surprises than the MPG.
So there it is: ONE MORE vetiver to try [ch8230] but I think it[ch8217]s one you[ch8217]d be safe putting near the top of your list.
Tomorrow, another Mazzolari [ch8230]
Vetiver is a note that always brings a smile to my face, puts me at ease and basically gets me centered. I would hazard to say that I[ch8217]ve tried most of the vetivers that get frequent mention here on BN, and I[ch8217]m happy to say that Mazzolari[ch8217]s rendition is quite unlike any I[ch8217]ve tried before.
The opening is very bright and refreshing: bitter rinds of lemons and limes combined with high-pitched florals. Very pungent and heady without being in the least bit heavy. Solid and substantial, but in no way stolid, sober or over-serious. After 10 to 15 minutes, I[ch8217]m starting to get a very dry spicy/herbal midsection composed of a heavy dose of nutmeg, some black pepper and perhaps tarragon.
A half an hour into the drydown, and the Mazzolari is reminding me most of L[ch8217]Artisan[ch8217]s version, with its strong herbal associations and also of SMN[ch8217]s, with its bright, floral top notes. The Mazzolari holds its own, though, in that it[ch8217]s much brighter and much more summery than the L[ch8217]Artisan (with its Yatagan-like autumnal herbal-bouquet.) Compared to the SMN, the Mazzolari offers nowhere near the vetiver-overloaded assault of that fragrance (which is way beyond their advertised [ch8220]cologne strength[ch8221] [ch8211] try it, you[ch8217]ll see!); however, it still offers floral notes akin to those found in the SMN.
After an hour or so, sandalwood starts to surface and continues to get stronger during the drydown. The sandalwood is very dry and powdery and reminds me a lot of Etro Sandalo. Longevity is quite good: I[ch8217]m getting a solid 4-5 hours.
Overall, I feel that this is a vetiver that has been very carefully blended: the ingredients that Mazzolari has selected all seem to be notes that purposefully don[ch8217]t stray far from the [ch8220]vetiver vibe[ch8221]: they very skillfully play off of vetiver[ch8217]s inherent chameleon-like, jack-of-all-trades nature (is it woodsy? [ch8230] grassy? [ch8230] herbal? [ch8230] citrusy?). Mazzolari[ch8217]s high-pitched citrus rinds and florals mesh flawlessly with the vetiver[ch8217]s inherent citrus/grassy qualities. The spicy/herbal midnotes combine beautifully with the vetiver[ch8217]s herbal qualities. And, finally, the powdery sandalwood melds nicely with vetiver[ch8217]s deeper tones. All told, I[ch8217]m finding a very nice tension in how the vetiver melds with all these diverse notes [ch8211] I keep finding my nose asking, [ch8220]Where does the vetiver end, and the other notes start?[ch8221] (They just mesh together so well and all seem to amplify and expand on the qualities inherent in the vetiver.)
In spirit, Mazzolari[ch8217]s vetiver brings to mind Goutal[ch8217]s: don[ch8217]t get me wrong, there[ch8217]s positively no iodine, seaweed or driftwood here, but there is something about the dryness and herbal-floral effusiveness in the Mazzolari that calls to mind a bluff overlooking the ocean. A bluff at the height of summer and on a breezy, sunny day, with all those grasses and wildflowers getting swirled about together. I[ch8217]d say it[ch8217]s as easy to wear as Racine, but packs a few more surprises than the MPG.
So there it is: ONE MORE vetiver to try [ch8230] but I think it[ch8217]s one you[ch8217]d be safe putting near the top of your list.
Tomorrow, another Mazzolari [ch8230]
from 
in the US.
