Cabochard 1959 Parfum

Version from 1959
Cabochard (1959) (Parfum) by Grès
Bottle Design Madame Grès
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7.7 / 10 242 Ratings
A popular perfume by Grès for women, released in 1959. The scent is chypreartig-leathery. The production was apparently discontinued.
Pronunciation
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Main accords

Chypre
Leathery
Spicy
Woody
Floral

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
AldehydesAldehydes SageSage SpicesSpices TarragonTarragon AsafoetidaAsafoetida Citrus fruitsCitrus fruits FruitsFruits
Heart Notes Heart Notes
GeraniumGeranium JasmineJasmine Orris rootOrris root RoseRose Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang
Base Notes Base Notes
OakmossOakmoss LeatherLeather MuskMusk VetiverVetiver AmberAmber PatchouliPatchouli SandalwoodSandalwood TobaccoTobacco CoconutCoconut

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.7242 Ratings
Longevity
7.8171 Ratings
Sillage
7.5171 Ratings
Bottle
6.7178 Ratings
Value for money
7.410 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 09.03.2024.

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions
4
Bottle
8
Sillage
7
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Behmi

9 Reviews
Translated Show original Show translation
Behmi
Behmi
Top Review 19  
After the fox hunt to the boiler hunt
Sooo, my first comment to a real classic, a stroke of luck that this apparently old and still intact original miniature fell into my hands How do I start?
The first picture that immediately opens up to me and awakens memories is, I hope, an adequate description for a hopefully rudimentary description:
It is Sunday morning and the hunters in their best loden skirts gather for a glass of port wine in a meadow in front of the manor house for a rendezvous. It is a sunny and mild spring morning, the spring breeze blows through the woods, the sun is already warming slightly and the freshly greased bridle of the saddled horses mixes with the grasses of the pasture and the aromas of the port wine.
The hunt begins and leads through picturesque fir forests, both horse and rider break into a sweat and the whole pack is surrounded by a warm spicy earthy leathery breeze.
Back at the manor house the horses are taken care of and the hunter asks to join the traditional hunt and a small refreshment on the pasture in front of the manor house. The stew is traditionally eaten outside in riding clothes. It dawns, and the spices of the wine join the smell of the horse and the woody cabochard on my neck. The atmosphere outside at dusk is relaxed and the first dances in riding clothes are performed, the atmosphere at the campfire is joyful and the long lasting smell from the house of Gres can be experienced without any problems. Even when I take off my riding boots at night when I bend down, a woody breeze swings up to me, now also delicately flowery, and I think with a soulful smile - WHAT A SUNDAY.
Rarely has a fragrance evoked such a strong association in me, strong and natural, durable and so highly recognizable. I think this classic is the founder of my love for Chypres.
13 Comments
jtd

484 Reviews
jtd
jtd
Top Review 14  
Some thoughts on reformulation in light of Cabochard Catastrophe.
Expectation works against Cabochard, poor dear. Many compare it in its current form to a vintage model. I’ve never smelled vintage Cabochard, so that expectation isn’t an issue. My expectation, and I’ll own it, comes from Cabochard’s family resemblance to Aramis by Aramis and therefore to Estée Lauder’s Azurée. All are leather chypres originally created by Bernard Chant. I have versions of Aramis and Azurée bought within the last five years---ostensibly current issue. They are spectacular in recipe and ingredients, and can be compared head to head (to head) with any other leather chypres, whether niche or designer. Cabochard, sadly, cannot. Not to be simply judgmental, I’ll say that Cabochard is like a grainy, blurry photo of either Aramis or Azurée. I can see that the topnotes are meant to capture the same strong, dry bitterness as found in either of the other two, but it comes off as both shrill and thin at the same time. And it falls apart so quickly! Within five minutes it becomes clear that Cabochard won’t venture down either the leather or chypre paths, instead becoming a disorganized but harsh dry woody fragrance.

I won’t flog a dead horse. I’ll just say that Aramis proves that Cabochard need not be so bad. The Cabochard dilemma makes me consider a few angles on the difficulties of reformulation. I know that reformulation has always occurred in perfumery. This current quandry, though, due firstly to restriction on ingredients and then the meanness of the companies ordering the reformulation, seems to be particular to our time.

Some thoughts.

Zombie or Ghost?
I’d call Cabochard the unequivocal zombie, dead but still lurching among us. The name is the same, the bottle is a knock-off of the original, the juice is a cheap, cynical reformulation. Cheap, since clearly no quality ingredients were harmed in its making. Cynical, as it rides on the longstanding reputation of both the vintage perfume and the perfumer, but doesn’t offer either quality or creativity in the reformulation.

There are quite a few ghosts out there, but who they are will depend on your perspective. I find the current Vetiver by Guerlain sensational. I vaguely remember Vetiver back as far as the 1980s, and while the current rendering might be different, it is still my favorite vetiver by yards. For many, though, it is fallen just enough from its former state that they won’t wear it. Vintage Vent Vert is universally acclaimed, the 1990 version by Calice Becker was apparently a welcome ghost, and the current version is generally panned (zombie.)

Quality Reformulation
Whether done covertly (Mitsouko? Chanel 5? Habit Rouge?) openly (Cuir de Lancome ) by full-on resurrection (Azzaro Couture, Robert Piguet’s Baghari) or some combination of the above (Aramis Gentleman’s Collection) quality, money, consideration and talent pay off. (Quick note, of the acknowledged reformulations that are highly praised, it is startling how often the names of Becker and Aurélian Guichard come up.) Restrictions on the use of classic components is a drag. Fortunately, though, innovations in chemistry and botany give us powerful new tools.

Maintain the Quality of your Heritage Products
Sounds like a simple strategy but I don’t imagine that it’s necessarily easy, with changing access to botanicals and year to year fluctuations. Some make solid efforts in this direction, Chanel and Guerlain being good examples. Others, less so. I’ll leave it up to you to identify these houses. Special mention should really be made here of Estée Lauder’s success. It’s heritage products (eg. Azurée, Knowing, Alliage) continue to be available and at remarkable prices (take that, Guerlain Derby.)

Die a Good Death
There are so many vintage perfumes that lived great lives, were a gift to those who wore them, and then went away, whether remembered today or not. I’m all for preservation, and recognize that the art of perfumery remains largely undocumented and without theoretical consideration in the formal sense. There should be as many institutions like Osmothèque as there are modern art museums. The Theory of Perfume should be an elective in mainstream universities. (I’m not kidding.) But I also recognize that perfumery is an art that, like dance, is experiential and temporal. In fact, this aspect of both dance and perfume is both desirable and noble. It helps me to feel alive to be in the midst of something beautiful that will in fact end.

Simply, Change
Robert Piguet’s line is a good example of the value of multiple strategies. Bandit, Fracas, Baghari, Futur---reformulate to the original specs as best you can with good intentions, quality components and creative talent. But then there’s Visa. What a simple, smartly executed notion: keep the name, allow a great perfumer (again Guichard) to reincarnate it. No deception, no lie, no marketing sleight-of-hand. Visa isn’t an attempt to recreate the original. It takes the qualities and intentions of the original and then gives us something novel. Piguet’s latest, Douglas Hannant, a straight-up new fragrance, is an equal member in the line with the icons Bandit and Fracas.

Find a New Solution
Sure, there are whole categories of fragrance that are new—candied gourmands, aquatics, transparent orientals. But there is also an attempt to reinterpret a genre that’s been stymied. I’ve never tried 31 Rue Cambon, but I respect its statement of intent: to recreate the chypre without oakmoss. Successful? Not? I’ll leave it up to you who wear it. What I appreciate is the attempt to deconstruct the chypre, step away from it, weigh its abstract qualities, and reconsider them with a different construction. There is something intriguing about this approach. The perfumer must be passionate about a form, yet disinterested in the analysis. I have faith that this will give us some great perfumes.
0 Comments
5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
9
Scent
EvaK

30 Reviews
EvaK
EvaK
Very helpful Review 8  
Belongs in a Film Noir...
I bought Cabochard EDT blind, very unsure of what to expect. Wow. It opens with a burst of leather that almost knocked me out. So so strong, not like a leather bag or a pair of new shoes, but a real leather workshop. More masculine that anything I've ever had.So different, and so "huge".
The leather note goes on all the way, even all through the drydown. Actually the drydown seems to develop too constantly during the more than 8 hours it lasts on me. Impressive longevity! Good sillage as well.
This is not for any mood. I find no sweetness, only little tenderness when it dries down.
I know it's from a later decade, but it gives me associations of 1930'ies nightclubs, gamblers and bootleggers, big cigars and hidden guns - arrogant mafia mistresses with a dark aura of mystery and class. Or a film noir based on a Raymond Chandler novel.
A very adult perfume, not old, but with a sense of experience and strength.
Cabochard is magnificent. Not to be worn with airy, romantic outfits imo.
Love it.
1 Comment
6
Pricing
10
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
10
Scent
Gold

541 Reviews
Gold
Gold
Top Review 6  
The ugly reformulation of a great perfume
Since Parfumo does not differentiate between the current formula and the vintage in the case of "Cabochard", I corrected the "points" attributed to this fragrance which used to be so gorgeous in the past. The vintage would gain 100% in my book, but my new bottle from 2014 is just a ghost, a harsh, unfriendly fragrance, not as leathery and bitter as it used to be, but hollow, empty, boneless, reminding me of a cheap men's cologne from a 1970's drugstore. So even if the current "Cabochard" is available at a very low price, I can't recommend it at all. Seek out a vintage or try "Aramis".
3 Comments
5
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
GothicHeart

86 Reviews
GothicHeart
GothicHeart
Very helpful Review 8  
Who's afraid of Cabochard?...
Little Red Riding Hood is walking through the forest.
Oak moss is hanging from every tree.
Her hooded cape is made of crude leather.
She's chain-smoking Gitanes.
She's cursing her grandma for the chore.
She hasn't picked any flowers, she's picked a thick stick.
She's thrashing everything in her way with it.
She's stepping angrily on the forest floor, squashing it under her boots.
She's pissed.
She's all sweaty and salty.
The smell she's leaving in her wake has nothing to do with a little girl.
She's not cute.
She's not innocent.
She's not happy.
I feel sorry for the wolf...

No matter how big and bad he may be, Cabochard is bigger and badder (sic) and will just swallow him whole.
1 Comment
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