Ierophante
Extrait de Parfum, Parfums Quartana (2022)

Upon first spray, Ierofante seems a direct descendant of the "burn rubber on me" of Bvlgari Black and heaven in a black leather jacket of Fahrenheit or Jacomo de Jacomo. Within minutes, however, its petrol accord, fantastically rendered by Luca Maffei, enhanced with styrax resin, is also laid over an accord dominated by Suederal. If I weren't so weary of the pervasiveness of Suederal in modern leathers, I'd probably be quite enthusiastic about this. The warmth of spices, particularly nutmeg, make Ierofante quite delightful in its heart, lending a more approachable and winsome appeal to it that isn't always so with concept fragrances in this category. It's eminently wearable, just evocative enough to raise the eyebrows, and it reaches the clubhouse turn with a sweet and cozy amber.

However, a rocket fuel juggernaut this is not. In fact in terms of shockingly realistic gasoline, one should look no further than that of Santa Maria Novella, which is exhilarating in its realism, and mercifully lasts for ten to fifteen minutes until it mellows into a beautifully rendered and softly-tarry birch leather. That is where I turn for this experience. While Ieofante is impeccably constructed and I don't argue whether its 2023 Art and Olfaction award is well-deserved, but it's just a bit too reductive and anticlimactic for me. It's well done, but it didn't quite dazzle me in the way I hoped.