Eau Duc de Berry Rancé 1795 2009

This Duc de Berry must be quite a shady nobleman. Hardly announced, with a restrained orange-spicy opening, he already vanishes again, leaving behind an almost ethereal trail with slightly sour and bitter notes. Here and there, a few rather greenish woody molecules push through, but the duke is hardly present after a short time.

Jean de Valois, duc de Berry, or Jean le Magnifique (1340-1416), to whom this fragrance is dedicated, was one of the greatest art patrons in history. During his lifetime, numerous churches and castles were restored. He was also a passionate collector of treasures, rarities from nature, and portraits of contemporaries. He collected so-called Books of Hours, with the most famous being the richly illustrated manuscript "Trés Riches Heures," one of the grandest masterpieces of book painting.

As far as I could research, the fragrance was created by Jean Rancé in 1818 and then presumably reissued in 2009.
Unfortunately, from today's perspective, the Eau Duc de Berry hardly does justice to any potential cultural claim, in my opinion.
I know only a few fragrances where I had to use so many drops, as here, to even gain an olfactory impression - and yet it seemed too timid to me. Well, what did come through, that subtle orange-spicy blend with sour woody undertones, has its charm in places, but it is still simply too little. If it were more concentrated and substantial, I would gladly pay more percentages, but we should better stay grounded in reality.

For fragrance historians and nostalgics, it might be an option, but for everyone else, it is likely more of a riddle that causes irritation.