Who or what is “Sauf”? That was my question when I ordered something from Essenza Nobile a while ago and stumbled upon this brand, which was new to me. Since all three fragrances thematically revolve around incense (and I have come to appreciate the many facets of incense - even if not all of them appeal to me), I immediately ordered samples of all three.
About the brand Sauf (source: EssenzaNobile.de):
“The mind behind Sauf is the Italian artist, designer, and musician Filippo Sorcinelli. In addition to his work as an organist in one of Italy's most famous churches, he is the personal tailor of the Pope.
For him, music is his life, his confession of faith, and his backbone. Even at a young age, he discovered his passion for music, which Filippo has never let go of. By the age of 13, he was the organist of the cathedrals in Faenza and Rimini. Recently, Filippo Sorcinelli released the album “Francophilie,” revealing his love for French organ music.
With Sauf, Filippo aims not only to honor the musicality of perfume but also to link this love with that of the organ. His perfumes are a tribute to the “Grand Orgue,” the famous organ in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. The bottles are inspired by the stop knobs of this organ.”
The three fragrances are described as follows:
Sauf - Contre Bombarde 32
Stop description: The Contre Bombarde 32 has an extraordinary, blaring, assertive, and festive sound. Moreover, it is one of the loudest individual voices of an organ.
Sauf - Plein Jeu III-V
Stop description: This stop combines several ranks of pipes to create a classic organ sound reminiscent of the free polyphony of angels.
Sauf - Voix Humaine 8
Stop description: A sweet and dense sound hides behind this stop. It is almost as if one could hear a choir of human voices.
* End of quote
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Aha, that all sounds very interesting. Filippo Sorcinelli (born 1972) seems to be an artistic jack-of-all-trades. Music, images, photography, art, and perfume (including collaborations with LAVS and Unum) are evidently his element. His appearance seems somewhat daring and initially contradictory to so much refinement. But as we know, the results count.
Now, let's get to the fragrance or rather the fragrances. It is indeed the case that all three fragrances revolve around the theme of incense. In all three, I perceive the incense as rather cool and at times more or less sacred. Due to the different “companions” in each fragrance, however, the incense develops differently, showcasing diverse and, in my opinion, interesting facets.
“Voix Humaine,” which translates to “human voice,” was the last of the three fragrances in my testing series and captivated me almost immediately.
Cool and silvery incense is immediately present and is accompanied by a hint of bergamot and something slightly resinous.
But then it seems as if the sun rises: Wonderful orange blossoms and styrax shine and warm the incense. I immediately envision colorful stained glass windows illuminated by sunlight.
The fragrance now appears warmer and warmer, with fine leather and amber notes supporting it. The vanilla used is not really sweet, rather darker and somewhat smoky in nature.
I cannot “hear” human voices now, at best my own, expressing my enthusiasm.
All in all, a beautiful and interesting fragrance profile emerges. The scent impression ranges from slightly aloof coolness to warm-ambered. At no point does Voix Humaine become truly sweet or mutate into a super cuddly scent, but it manages to maintain an exciting balance between the poles. Especially in the base, the fragrance feels very enveloping, almost protective, and yes, even somewhat comforting.
Filippo Sorcinelli is evidently not only an extraordinary man in appearance, but in my opinion, he has also created extraordinary fragrances that interpret the theme of incense in a modern and unpretentious way. The harmony from music has been transferred to the fragrances here. Perhaps the idea of connecting both genres is not so bad after all.
“Voix Humaine” is my absolute favorite of the trio, as the other two fragrances do not develop the depth and warmth of scent. Those who prefer the cooler and more androgynous variants should be recommended the other two fragrances.
The longevity is good (about 8 hours on me), the projection is moderate (definitely noticeable, but not overwhelming), and it is definitely unisex and wearable for almost any season and occasion.
Molte grazie Filippo Sorcinelli!
Top Notes 
Amber
Vanilla
Musk
Heart Notes 
Ambrette
Jasmine
Base Notes 
Elemi resin
Bergamot
leocoll4
Marieposa
Licorice
Floyd
MonMedusa
BillyBumbler
Edda32
Toppine
Mourant
Jumi
