Haitian Vetiver Ermenegildo Zegna 2014

At first, I was skeptical about the good vetiver, then I bought Guerlain's classic and it only got better slowly... But then the grassy material became more and more appealing to me through various fascinating tests of Frédéric Malle's interpretation or even Dior Vetiver, to name just two outstanding ones. And today I can rightly say that vetiver grass, together with iris, is among my favorite fragrance ingredients. It can change so quickly. I love the masculine-rough, serious yet summery feeling it can radiate. This makes me feel comfortable and that's how I want to be perceived by my surroundings from time to time. I saw the brand new Ermenegildo Zegna collection in Düsseldorf even before New Year's Eve, but I wasn't immediately tempted to test it. This is probably also due to the poor designer fragrances that the good man sells under his name. But this collection looked valuable from the start and not only made the local sharing community excited and curious.

It is said to contain only five ingredients - but who really trusts fragrance pyramids ;)... It is unmistakably a vetiver fragrance - just somehow softer, more balsamic, more feminine, and a bit citrusy. The perfect mix of the previous kings in this direction. Especially the carrot seeds and the iris make the scent unisex and take away much of its roughness. Sel de Vetiver also comes to mind immediately. Only in the top notes is it spritzy and chirpy, then gentle, green, noble, and easy to wear. A perfect symbiosis of everything a vetiver fan desires. Definitely another highlight, even if the most beloved genre eventually wears thin.

Bottle: elegant and simple, very heavy... But the price is also very high!
Sillage: the usual vetiver.
Longevity: acceptable 7 hours.

No revolution... But still a new king? Who knows, but it deserves a place in the hall of fame, as it easily keeps up with the primus!