Storie Veneziane : Zafferano I
Valmont (2021)

The super talented Cécile Zarokian (collaborations and partnerships with prestigious international brands as Jaques Zolty, Jovoy Paris, Amouage, David Jourquin, E. Coudray, Teo Cabanel, Nishane, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Jul&Mad and further) is the top nose behind this saffronish/oudish spicy-oriental expensive gem introduced on the market by Valmont (Cécile Zarokian and Natalie Lorson the top performers behind), an obscure niche swiss/italian maison with a special kind of aristocratic "modern baroque" concept behind its olfactory philosophy. Storie Veneziane Zafferano I, with its "in cuoio rifinito cap-bottle" (showing out the handcrafted effigy representing a Murano's traditional mask), is a modern luxurious "in chiaro-scuro" rendition of a venetian 700's kind of baroquism full of sin, aristocracy, decadence, Rococó and mystery a la Jul&Mad Amour de Palazzo. This fragrance smells like a sort of olfactory rendition of the historical venetian Carnival, a ritual celebration of the Serenissima Republic's grandeur between nobiliar palaces, court's dames, balades, little halleys and bridges over canals, with all its charge of intrigues, rituals and aristocratic masks. Zafferano is a really balsamic accord due to its introducing blast of bitter orange, aromatic peppery molecular saffron (the key aromatic spicy element) and something undiscerned in the middle between a waxy amber and a talky oakmoss. The huge spiciness is claimed to evoke an ancient venetian marked full of whirling in the air spices coming from far east. I detect an honeyed sweet-bitter combination of resins, spices, hesperides and dry woods. Everything is warm, dusty and kind of hot honeyed. Honey and resins (mostly a luxurious volatile oudh's rendition) provide a sort of vaguely "stuffy" and languid refined vibe in the air, a sort of jump back to a secret dimension like a warm indefinible embrace. More in particular cedarwood spreads out its kind of drier pencil-shaving's twist. Dry down is drier and mild, overall with a modern sort of subtle mild lipstick/volatile floral oud's vibe a la Heeley Agarwood or the Givaudan's creation (less spicy and more incensey) Ex Nihilo Oud Vendome as ideally combined with something spicier and dustier as the unisex dusty-ambery and slightly rubbery-leathery accord we get in scents a la V&A Midnight in Paris or Jul&Mad Amour de Palazzo. A refined oud's rendition with a languid soul and a nobiliar regality.