Warning. The love for this one takes a little while to come. But when it does arrive, it’s real. The reason for the delayed affection stems from the use of materials that are the cause of so many of the problems in modern scent releases: woody ambers. The initial burst of Acqua Di Parma Bergamotto Di Calabria La Spugnatura (contender for most long-winded perfume name of the year?) reveals that Francois Demachy has employed the services of those ubiquitous, abrasive, borderline-aggressive substances in this composition. Presumably this is because they add weight and body to proceedings, but it’s also probably because they seem to be so popular with the buying public at the moment. Thankfully, this explosion is short lived and what emerges after its fallout is a complex rendition of the eponymous citrus fruit.
Bergamot oil is a richly multi-faceted material, presenting bright, lemony, aldehydic notes at its top, as well as darker, woodier, spicier elements in its base. It is the entirety of the oil’s character that Demachy has attempted to present here, by and large with great success. The natural sweetness of bergamot’s opening has been enhanced with mandarin, its sour quality has been bolstered by grapefruit and its suave base has been enhanced with cedar wood and, of course, the brash elements mentioned above. They all come together to produce a portrait quite different from that seen in the original Bergamotto Di Calabria. That release was all about the fleeting, exuberant facets of bergamot: its most stereotypically citrusy aspects. But this Spugnatura limited edition delves further, making a convincing argument for the wholeness of bergamot as a perfume in itself.
How wearable it is will depend on each individual’s tolerance for those woody ambers. Certainly, their presence in the structure cannot be ignored. However, if we must have them, then please let it be in this manner: carefully dosed and concealed behind more pleasantly disposed materials. Demachy proves with this release that, when employed skilfully, woody ambers are just as important as any other complements of the perfumer’s arsenal. Here, they serve to focus and lend gravity to a release that may otherwise have been easy to dismiss as yet another light cologne, turning it into of the best Blu Mediterraneo scents we’ve had for years.
For my interview with Acqua Di Parma’s Paola Paganini, in which we discussed the creation of this scent, please click here.]
Persolaise
[Acqua Di Parma Bergamotto Di Calabria La Spugnatura review based on a sample provided by the brand in 2021.]
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Nice review 🙂 Shows that even “bad” ingredients work in moderation.
AdP doesn’t quite fit my style but I like Fico Amalfi the most.
Turin in his Secrets of Scent series talks about the Amber Extreme compound that is super concentrated, cheap, and serves to backlight the scent. Guess that’s why it’s everywhere, and the fact that a lot of men seem to want “beast mode” fragrances so they can be smelt across the room.
Thanks for writing, Andy.
Yes, those materials are being over-used. But as you say, there is a place for them.
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