Excence 2011
2011 is the 150-year anniversary of Italian Reunification and the celebration is going to go on all year long. It should come as no surprise that Italian perfume Houses are joining in by making commemorative fragrances. I saw two of these at Esxence 2011; Profumi del Forte 150 Parfum and Xerjoff XJ 17/17 1861. The Profumi del Forte was nice but did not shine compared to the other scents in the line. Xerjoff 1861 did shine, in fact it might be the brightest Xerjoff in the line. The main difference, as is usually the case with Xerjoff, is the high quality materials they use.
The other thing is 1861 has a heart of lily of the valley and it also feels like it would be an appropriate fragrance to celebrate La Fete du Muguet. La Fete du Muguet takes place on May 1 in France and the tradition is to hand your beloved a sprig of muguet/ lily of the valley. Guerlain gets into the spirit every year as they only sell their Muguet for one day on May 1st. The greatest lily of the valley fragrance is arguably Edmond Roudnitska’s masterpiece Diorissimo. The lily of the valley in 1861 is quite special and it again shows that Sergio Momo’s dedication to excellence results in another excellent fragrance.
Portrait of a Youth with flowers
Bergamot is one of the most ubiquitous fragrance ingredients you can name. So often you note it as being there but because of how common it is you tend to almost neglect it. One of the amazing things about 1861 is the opening bergamot note. This is no pedestrian bergamot note, it is so shiny and bright it feels like a diamond; making the more normal bergamot notes cubic zirconia. I found myself spraying 1861 just to encounter the bergamot note but that is only the beginning. Petit grain, lime and orange add typical citrus depth to the bergamot. Then Spring breaks as the green floralcy of lily of the valley arrives. Just as with the bergamot in the top, the lily of the valley is of an unusual quality much higher than you normally encounter. The note list mentions mint and that particular note can be a particular bugaboo for me but if it is there it is very subtle. 1861 settles into a strong amber and cedar base with a touch of musk.
Sergio Momo
1861, while it doesn’t last for 150 years, lasts for 24 hours and has above average sillage.
1861 is another example of the ethos of Xerjoff. Take the best ingredients, combine them with skill, and put them in a beautiful flacon. When done the Xerjoff way it can take the common and make it uncommon. 1861 makes bergamot and lily of the valley something special, just in time for May Day.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Xerjoff.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor
Courtesy of our friends at Xerjoff we have a 15mL sample of XJ 17/17 1861 to giveaway to one commenter. Leave a comment naming your favorite Italian song, food, painter, actor, person or friend well ANYTHING/ANYONE ITALIAN (including a Xerjoff fragrance) in honor of Italian Reunification.
The draw closes April 26, 2011