Coriandre Eau de Toilette (1973)
by Jean Couturier

Jean Couturier was something of a creative consultant/director in the 1960's and 1970's, serving in the same capacity that Frédéric Malle, Serge Lutens, and Roja Dove served, and launching his own perfume house much like they did after assisting designers for years. Unlike those latter names, he did not try to turn his namesake perfume house into an ultra-luxe affair that sold perfumes at double to quadruple the market price of the average designer, but the 1970's was not the era of the billionaire, and the middle classes still contributed to the lion's share of luxury spending, meaning a modicum of accessibility was still needed for success. The house of Jean Couturier focused on its connection to Grasse, is perfumed mostly by wife Jacqueline Courturier, and was sold alongside designers at most high-end boutiques or department stores that chose to handle the brand. Coriandre (1973) would be the debut scent, and eventually the crown jewel of the house, purportedly inspired by childhood memories of Jacqueline herself. This is mostly a green rose chypre with a characteristic namesake coriander head note, but combats its own spice with a sweet soapy progression that makes it softer and more approachable than many of the sharp or icy chypres making the rounds in the women's market at the time.

Coriandre opens with what you'd expect: a big old fat coriandre note resting on bergamot and aldehydes, with angelica and a tiny bit of neroli to keep the bergamot from being too strict on the nose. The coriander recalls a lot of Latin cuisine when used this strongly, but within minutes the traditional floral heart of rose, jasmine, and geranium takes over. Once the core of Coriandre is reached, the scent profile becomes rather unisex in a dandy way to me, since the geranium and rose play tug-of-war over hedione in the same way they do many classic turn-of-the-20th-century masculines and 21st century niche creations deliberately trying to be "dated". Civet and patchouli warm up the approach to the base in a very academic way for a chypre, with animal virility and green diffusive richness dragging Coriandre back to something more teasingly feminine in the later stages, especially since most masculines trending in the 70's were focused on tonka and oakmoss sucker punches thanks to the re-emergence of the fougère earlier on. Sandalwood and oakmoss dry it up nice and neat, acheiving the expected aromatic finish of a chypre, adding bits of vetiver to dial in that 70's green vibe which was everywhere then. Wear time is long as Coriandre is pretty tenacious for an eau de toilette, but sillage is not beastly. Cozy, inviting, old-fashioned, demure, but sometimes a bit teasing in demeanor, Coriandre is in stark contrast to things like the sternly "modern" Chanel No. 19 (1971) or extroverted "tomboy" Revlon Charlie (1973) and wears quite casually as a result.

We were a few years away from the commanding "icy bitch" chypres like Jacomo Silences (1978) that set the trend into the 80's, so it was still fashionable to be passive with a bit of free-spirited whimsy, which is the mood Coriandre conveys to me most. I'd say Clinique Aromatics Elixir (1971) is the only thing really close in mood and execution to Coriandre, employing a similar rose and jasmine savon, just greener and clearly not as passive in sillage, being more assertive but still positive in attitude. If you're a fan of vintage chypres and are looking for a green-hued rose with a lot of gender fluidity and a spicy warmth that is more friendly than your average chypre from this period, Coriandre might be for you. Otherwise, this is just overall a nice and well-balanced rose/geranium perfume with a novel top of culinary spice and a traditional oakmoss base that won't send you reaching for an inhaler from scratchiness or an insulin injector from sweetness. You could call Coriandre a "happy medium" chypre if you want, but that is an oversimplification. Granted, a tolerance for coriander in perfume is needed, but this stuff maintains a cult following and is still produced (now in various concentrations with flankers), so Couturier must have done something right. Vintage is preferred for those who want the feel of sandalwood and real oakmoss in the finish. Thumbs up.

Spiced slightly on top. Sharp green. Very floral middle. Tart. All the flowers blend well into one bouquet of spring blooms; blooms that remain into the summer weather. Sunny. Very old-fashioned in its style and creation. No sickly sweetness here. I went through a big bottle of this in the early 90's. I had then, considered this a good, work-day perfume. My "sample" for this review wasn't from an older, vintage bottle. It might have been from the early 90's. It still smells great IMO.

The base is more alluring with its more rich, deep notes. An animalic vibe appears. Earthier, herbal notes, as well. Moss stands out. Sandalwood, also. It was great to revisit Coriandre. I would not seek out a newer version for fear of disappointment.

I was expecting a lot more after reading all the positive reviews about this one but i was not impressed ...at all....
A lot of reviewers describe it as "fresh" but i haven't detected the slightest freshness.
From a vintage lover like me maybe this will sound "inappropriate" but it is ....dated. Big time....
From the start to the end i couldn't sense any kind of evolution. All i was getting was an old fashioned rose that is not of my liking going hand in hand with boring, dated aldehydes and in the fern a hint of patchouli. Lasted about 5h, mediate silage.
Not for me.

2/10

Coriandre is the evening when love is revealed.one of the most sophisticated elegant and graceful chypre scent.it juxtaposes a sharp greenness against a rich creamy traid of rose and patchouli.this awesome fragrance reveals a strong personality and the woman who wears this is classy and respected and regardless of her age is still so sexy.excellent mixture of sweetness and bitterness.reminds me of palomo picasso.Earthy,Woody,Aromatic,Memorable,Classic, Strong,Herbal,Glamorous and Complex.


In the top note vibrant coriander is blended with bright aldehydes and fresh bergamot.the floral heart is abstract in spirit and rich in texture balancing the natural femininity of rose,granium with the more voluptuous powdery notes of iris and violet.then the rich exotic essences of patchouli,civet,vetiver and oakmoss quiver in the heat lingering on the skin that evokes an image of an evening tryst in the most beautiful secret garden.in fact it is divine in the evening after a day in the sun.the opening is strong bitter but after some time blends with the skin scent and becomes a deep sweet scent.

Sillage?Good.

Longevity?Very Good on my skin.

7.25/10

Bracing and fresh, dry and a little dirty, this is French perfumery at its best. A green, herbal chypre with enough florals in the heart to be very feminine although the sharp herbal opening is masculine in the way that Devin is. The civet and musk in the basenotes are superb and make a perfect counterpoint to the fresh, clean opening. The ad campaign for this was perfect--the beautifully dressed lady in the torn blouse says it all. If you like Cristalle, Alliage, Private Collection and Givenchy III, give this a try--you'll feelgrown up and French, pretty and just a little naughty.