Byzantinian Garden Ucca 2024

I enter the garden through a wonderfully zesty yellow-green opening, spicy-herbaceous with a sunny smile instead of citrus acidity. Bergamot and basil are clearly discernible in the first 10 minutes, a mint leaf wouldn’t have surprised me in the scent notes either. From the background, the concentrated sweetness of the white flowers quickly pushes to the forefront: a lot of jasmine and gardenia, a bit of neroli - real, no tuberose?? Mimosa makes it all nice and fluffy, but it is quite sweet. Luckily, cooler, blue notes flash through in between, otherwise I would be completely buried under the floral stream.
Interestingly, during my first test, I suddenly get strong associations of a summer swimming pool, including chlorine, sunscreen, and trapped heat under the glass roof. During my second round (with more sprays), I didn’t have that; now the balance between white and blue is better. Slowly, the floral sweetness sneaks out and makes way for a soft, light woodiness.
This fragrance rightly carries its name - definitely a large, sun-drenched garden in full bloom by the Mediterranean. What makes it special for me is the skillful representation of the blue, cooler elements, which I would love to see even more pronounced. If it were a bit less blooming sweet, I would like it even more.