I don't remember where, but I once read that Pierre Bourdon submitted one of the early drafts of Shiseido's Féminité du Bois (which he composed with Christopher Sheldrake) to Dior, and it resulted in Dolce Vita.
Whether true or not, it makes sense. The relationship between the two is clear. And though Dolce Vita is a bit more mainstream, and a bit, oh, I don't know, sunnier, I think it's brilliant, too.
Dolce Vita's luscious creaminess is a result of Bourdon's artful blend of spices, fruits and woods. While I do like the opening (a rosy florality is always noticeable to me on first application), what I really love is the rounded fruitiness of the peach/apricot heart, spiked with cinnamon and cardamom, that leads right into that deep, delicious woody base. Most everyone identifies sandalwood as the primary note there, but I smell cedar, and lots of it. (Perhaps it's that Australian sandalwood? I don't know.) So yes, it's quite cedary to me, but there's also a dollop of vanilla there, and some sweet heliotrope.
This is my very favorite from Dior, and I wear it quite regularly as a daytime scent. People smile at me on elevators when they detect it.
