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Jewel of the Adriatic
A Grove by the Sea is a tribute to the Croatian island of Lopud in the Adriatic, which was bought by the Republic of Dubrovnik in the 11th century and became the seat of the republic's governor in 1459. Many noble families built their summer estates on the island and until the 17th century the shipping industry and maritime trade flourished on the island, which was home to up to 14,000 people. For a long time it was known as the island of captains, the birthplace of the most famous sailors of the Dubrovnik Republic and the aristocracy of its time.
According to legend, the Milanese crusader Ottotone Visconti was stranded on the island in 1098 and made a vow that if he was rescued, he would build 100 churches on Lopud. This is why numerous chapels, churches and devotional stones can still be admired on the island today. Today, fewer than 300 people live on the small island.
After a devastating earthquake in 1667, many buildings on the island were destroyed and it was never able to regain its former glory, as most of the inhabitants left the island. Left to nature, a wild growth of plants emerged. The entire landscape is an aromatic paradise of green figs, dried pine needles, wild herbs and the subtle, nutty scent of olive oil.
This is exactly where the fragrance A Grove by the Sea comes in, which I only discovered after wearing it several times. At the beginning, I smell the aroma of fig, but not the unsweet, typical leafy green of many fig fragrances, but rounded off with a fruity-sweet component of clementine, which is usually a little sweeter than oranges.
After a few minutes, I find that the fig is accompanied by Mediterranean herbs. Rosemary and thyme seem plausible to me, but Rodrigo Flores-Roux has also changed these in his own way. It's not the smell that you get when you rub the herbs between your fingers, but rather the aroma that is in the air when the sun has been burning the ground for hours and the heat has squeezed the bouquet out of the plants, surrounded by a delicately salty sea breeze that blows in from the coast and reinforces the feeling of standing in the middle of a Mediterranean landscape.
The subliminal scent of green olives is barely discernible here, serving more as a texture to create a bracket around the wild herbs, the fig and the coniferous odeur that gradually emerges. Cypress is the dominant coniferous wood, but the woody notes never come to the fore either, but rather complement the overall impression, which is kept quite green. The clay adds a hint of mineral nuances at best, but A Grove by the Sea certainly does not smell earthy.
Rodrigo Flores-Roux, who has created classics such as Fougère Royale (2010) Eau de Parfum by Houbigant or the wonderful incense fragrance Sahara Noir by Tom Ford, also shows all his skills here, which I have also noticed positively in other fragrances from the Arquiste brand: there are no bold notes that dominate the fragrance. Instead, it is the subtle and delicate interplay of the individual components that creates new scent impressions and images in the mind. The crunching of pine needles underfoot, the sea breeze blowing through the sun-drenched nature and the essential oils of the plants evaporating from the leaves.
Fans of strong sillage and atomic longevity will certainly not get their money's worth here. However, lovers of subtle fragrances who like to be whisked away to foreign places, soak up nature and are in awe of the beauty of our earth will be fully satisfied here. For me, a fragrance that could hardly be more Mediterranean without having to make use of artificial aquatic synthetics, summer feelings included.
According to legend, the Milanese crusader Ottotone Visconti was stranded on the island in 1098 and made a vow that if he was rescued, he would build 100 churches on Lopud. This is why numerous chapels, churches and devotional stones can still be admired on the island today. Today, fewer than 300 people live on the small island.
After a devastating earthquake in 1667, many buildings on the island were destroyed and it was never able to regain its former glory, as most of the inhabitants left the island. Left to nature, a wild growth of plants emerged. The entire landscape is an aromatic paradise of green figs, dried pine needles, wild herbs and the subtle, nutty scent of olive oil.
This is exactly where the fragrance A Grove by the Sea comes in, which I only discovered after wearing it several times. At the beginning, I smell the aroma of fig, but not the unsweet, typical leafy green of many fig fragrances, but rounded off with a fruity-sweet component of clementine, which is usually a little sweeter than oranges.
After a few minutes, I find that the fig is accompanied by Mediterranean herbs. Rosemary and thyme seem plausible to me, but Rodrigo Flores-Roux has also changed these in his own way. It's not the smell that you get when you rub the herbs between your fingers, but rather the aroma that is in the air when the sun has been burning the ground for hours and the heat has squeezed the bouquet out of the plants, surrounded by a delicately salty sea breeze that blows in from the coast and reinforces the feeling of standing in the middle of a Mediterranean landscape.
The subliminal scent of green olives is barely discernible here, serving more as a texture to create a bracket around the wild herbs, the fig and the coniferous odeur that gradually emerges. Cypress is the dominant coniferous wood, but the woody notes never come to the fore either, but rather complement the overall impression, which is kept quite green. The clay adds a hint of mineral nuances at best, but A Grove by the Sea certainly does not smell earthy.
Rodrigo Flores-Roux, who has created classics such as Fougère Royale (2010) Eau de Parfum by Houbigant or the wonderful incense fragrance Sahara Noir by Tom Ford, also shows all his skills here, which I have also noticed positively in other fragrances from the Arquiste brand: there are no bold notes that dominate the fragrance. Instead, it is the subtle and delicate interplay of the individual components that creates new scent impressions and images in the mind. The crunching of pine needles underfoot, the sea breeze blowing through the sun-drenched nature and the essential oils of the plants evaporating from the leaves.
Fans of strong sillage and atomic longevity will certainly not get their money's worth here. However, lovers of subtle fragrances who like to be whisked away to foreign places, soak up nature and are in awe of the beauty of our earth will be fully satisfied here. For me, a fragrance that could hardly be more Mediterranean without having to make use of artificial aquatic synthetics, summer feelings included.
38 Comments
I didn't have this perfume on my radar - now I really want it π
I've grown fond of the brand anyway..
Your historical exploration of this island alone has captivated me.
I will certainly enjoy the fragrance as you experience it.
And another beautiful bottle to boot.
Ey ey Captain, Adriatic island ahead!
π
And the fragrance seems to be a feast for the nose. I don't need endless durability and a veil of fragrance from Flensburg to the AllgΓ€u π
And now I'll read your comment again.