Exaltatum Pergola
I thoroughly tested Exaltatum perfumes only a month ago and four perfumes of this exquisite and rather new house left me deeply impressed. While I was testing Osmanthus Nobile (2018.), Ruby Wood (2018.), Pergola (2018.) and Mimosa Gold (December 2019.), Exaltatum launched the fifth member of the collection: St. Pauls (2020.).
I wondered should I start my thorough overview of the Exaltatum with the review of Pergola or the magnificent chocolate-coffee-incense-rose Ruby Wood, as I am equally overwhelmed by both. Then, unexpectedly, smitten by the layers of green I spontaneously uttered Lorca...
Verde que te quiero verde
... so Pergola it is.
There are pergolas of all sizes and kinds: wisteria pergolas, the most common kind in the Mediterranean is grapevines pergola, I've sat under a kiwi pergola, too... In fact, every climbing plant will naturally embrace and wrap itself around this essentially simple human-made structure.
From the simplest ones to the symbols of architectural magnificence, pergolas represent a true fusion of architecture and nature: the human-made structure supports the true nature of climbing plants.
In return, the green climbers build leafy, airy roof: shade in the high noon during the summer or a place for the afternoon siesta. The old and strong pergolas even provide shelter from rain-drops.
While the original inspiration for the perfume came from poetic and romantic Pergola in London Hampstead Heath, my associations were different. Pergolas are common parts of Mediterranean traditional housing, as much as are, for example, porches in the American South.
My favourite coffee place in my small Istrian town has it. From mid-spring till late autumn, I drink my coffee in the open air, in the enveloping shade under the natural roof made of stem vignettes, vine leafs and grapes.
The place I lived before also had a pergola, so my day to day life under pergola included watching the grapes turning from small and green to big yellow and red.
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| Pergola in London Hampstead Heath. A detail. Foto by @alexvangoethem |
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| Young, still growing grapevines on the pergola in my favourite coffee place. |
Nature embracing a structure.A structure wrapped in nature.Exaltatum's Pergola honours exactly that fusion, too.
The opening is grassy, bitterish, mossy and fresh. Feels like lying in a moist, freshly grown grass, the one that leaves the green stains on clothes, those that just won't come off...
There is a slight citrusy ting to sparkle the greens and make literally every mossy, leafy, grassy nuance of green shine.
The joy of rebirth develops into a green and flowery celebration and I am truly smitten by its complexity: the flower bouquet in the heart of Pergola strongly evokes the grandeur of classic green florals: there are sumptuous narcissus and very green tuberose, a porcelain-like lily of the valley, penetrating and opulent hyacinth...
Imagine all the flower-power of the heralds of spring mixed and blended with thin woody saps and leafs of ivy, bitterish galbanum, fat and crisp saps of hyacinth and narcissus, airy violet leafs, dewy grass and moss, green and a bit woody vetiver!
Verde, che te chiero verde...
Still, the greenness in the heart of Pergola does not shout. The flower expressiveness is tempered with a lot of fresh air and creamy and velvety texture. In an ultimately sophisticated way, Pergola manages to evoke the classic tradition and then twist it to meet the modern, more understated profile, without losing the complexity.
The grandeur extends to the base: the structure holding the greens is built on balsams, moss and musk. Aromatic, herbal, mossy, woody and musky facets create the sense of space and depth.
From time to time, I thought that Pergola got on the verge of being slightly restrained, but this hoovering feeling again evoked traditional sophistication.
Represented as a fougere, Pergola's personality spreads and climbs over the whole classically green perfume groups structure: it is evidently a floral green, with a chypre-ish touch, too.
From time to time, I thought that Pergola got on the verge of being slightly restrained, but this hoovering feeling again evoked traditional sophistication.
Represented as a fougere, Pergola's personality spreads and climbs over the whole classically green perfume groups structure: it is evidently a floral green, with a chypre-ish touch, too.
Eglia Vaitkevice created breathtakingly crisp, airy and enveloping perfume which truly honours the nature of all the pergolas, everywhere:
With its fully ornamented structure supporting breathing, growing and spreading layers of green, Pergola represents the fusion of modern and traditional, technical and artisanal, refined and natural.
I am smitten by Pergola, and the poetry usually comes to my mind only when the perfume creation is complex, rounded, polished and possesses self-understandable timeless depth...
Verde, que te chiero, verde...I honestly think Pergola is one of the green florals (bordering chypre, bordering fougere) every lover of classic green perfumes should try.
