Pour Homme Duftanker MGO Duftmanufaktur 2019

A few years ago, when the old, traditionally shaped house of Patou, significantly influenced by Jean Kerléo, was revived, many eagerly awaited the rebirth of the legendary fragrance 'Patou pour Homme.' Its pitiful remnants in circulation are likely just a shadow of their former selves due to oxidation from aging, yet this does not deter treasure hunters from still spending astronomical sums to catch even the faintest echo of it.
The question was: should a new launch put an end to this madness, as was the case with Guerlain's Derby, since the new Derby was simply (almost) as good as the old one?
No, unfortunately not.

For inexplicable reasons, a completely new fragrance was created that bore only the name of the old one, yet was not even remotely related to it. When asked why this was the case, various reasons were put forward, such as certain ingredients no longer being available, while others fell under the ban of the IFRA. In short, the old fragrance was simply not revivable, and since no compromises were to be made (which were certainly made in the case of other Patou heroes), a new creation was decided upon.
This may be understandable, but the fact that an approach to the original would have been quite possible is demonstrated by the fragrance 'Pour Homme' from MGO Duftanker.

When I sprayed it for the first time, I thought: wow, great! I hadn't had such a lush, spicy, large-scale, and multi-layered work with the name 'Pour Homme' in a long time. After a while, however, some aspects seemed familiar, and when I considered where I had encountered them before, it quickly became clear to me: it was 'Patou pour Homme'!
Not that both fragrances smelled identical, no, not at all, but they share a kinship, a kind of familial DNA, which can indeed be traced to a variety of notes that characterize both: foremost, allspice, due to its broad flavor (and scent) spectrum that shifts between clove and pepper. Additionally, sage, basil, and lavender contribute their part to a similar spiciness, as well as green aspects of fir and vetiver found here and there, interspersed with fine smoky trails and brightened by floral-fresh geranium peaks. Cedar and sandalwood, along with patchouli, define both bases, together with the bitter sweetness of tonka bean and vanilla. Finally, the usual suspects, oakmoss and labdanum, provide both fragrance structures with stability and support.
Here, however, the paths ultimately diverge, if only by a nuance: while the Patou classic marches with leathery facets, in tandem with a bit of castoreum and/or civet towards leather chypre, 'Pour Homme' from MGO remains in the realm of oriental chypre, comparable, for example, to 'J.H.L' from Aramis, which was launched shortly after 'Patou pour Homme' at the beginning of the 80s.
I don't really detect leathery animalism in the MGO fragrance - it may act subcutaneously - while it is quite overt in 'Patou pour Homme.'

I don't know if Hans Georg Staudt intended to create a fragrance in the spirit of 'Patou pour Homme,' but he succeeded. With his 'Pour Homme,' he convincingly refutes the statement by Thomas Fontaine (in collaboration with Jean Kerléo) that a reissue of the Patou classic was not possible for the reasons mentioned. It would have been possible.

The sadly recently deceased Swiss perfumer Vero Kern pulled off a similar coup years ago with her fragrance 'Onda': 'Onda' reminded many of the old Guerlain classic 'Djedi,' which, as heard from the house of Guerlain, unfortunately, could no longer be reformulated - the issue was supposedly similar to that of 'Patou pour Homme.'
That Vero Kern proved the responsible parties at Guerlain wrong was apparently more due to chance: the Swiss woman did not even know 'Djedi,' and repeatedly reported in interviews how proud she was to have created a work that reminded so many of the mythical Guerlain fragrance.
But as in the case of 'Onda'/'Djedi,' I must also clarify in the case of 'Patou pour Homme'/'Pour Homme' from MGO: both recreations are not copies! They are independent fragrance characters, though closely related to their famous predecessors, but different enough to be perceived as independent individuals.

For those who now find the comparison with the old Patou fragrance meaningless, as its last drops are slowly running out: 'Pour Homme' by Hans Georg Staudt is committed to the fragrance language of the early 80s. Volume and richness characterized this era, often accompanied by an animalism that is now considered unacceptable. In terms of fragrance spectrum, they were generally so broad that a classic categorization was usually no longer possible. These fragrances had EVERYTHING: fougère elements, as well as chypre tendencies, often underpinned by a deep oriental sound, and frequently infused with erotic undertones.
This voluptuous fragrance language is also utilized by MGO's 'Pour Homme,' albeit in a somewhat toned-down hedonism, which makes it a bit more contemporary and also more palatable.
I see it these days more suited to mature men (or women), less to Ambroxan-loving youngsters. But also 'Jules,' 'Derby,' 'Bel Ami,' and others, to expand the genealogy once more, were not intended for the downy-faced youth.
The attitude, in any case, with which 'Pour Homme' comes across conveys to me a sense of stability, with an upright stature, and a certain seriousness, with a hint of polished conservatism.

On certain days - not all! - it will surely be a good companion for me.