Hermes – Un Jardin sur le Nil

There are certain fragrances which elicit an involuntary story full of romance and wonder, thanks to the beauty of their creation. Unfortunately for Un Jardin sur le Nil, anyone who has read Chandler Burr’s “The Emperor of Scent” will likely recall the tale of Hermes sending its nose Jean-Claude Ellena on an expedition to Egypt with an entire team in tow, to capture the scents of the exotic landscape. While this episode does show the more banal side of perfumery, the hilarity of this scenario does nothing to diminish this beautful creation.

Jean-Claude Ellena commenced his olfactory travels in 2003 with Un Jardin en Mediterranee, a fig/woods creation which invoked the gardens of the Mediterranean. Un Jardin sur le Nil, second in the series and created in 2005, takes us to the exotic reaches of the Nile, if only in name. Chandler Burr explains here how Ellena  had to abandon his original vision for an Egyptian-inspired fragrance upon his arrival, as the actual smells were less dark and opulent than his imagination had suggested. What Ellena was ultimately inspired by was the many mango trees growing in the area which were covered in young green mango, which has a distinctly different smell than ripe mango – tart, with a bit of bite and slightly dusty.

The fragrance starts out with a bright citrus note that is positively bursting. While not listed anywhere in the notes, my impression is of a juicy grapefruit exploding under the pressure of a sharp knife. The grapefruit note unfolds into a green mango note, fruity and tangy but devoid of sweetness, which in my opinion is one of the aspects that makes this fragrance so successful.

As the citrus dies down, there is a light floral impression which lightens the fragrance into a familiar Jean-Claude Ellena category. While light, the fragrance possesses an underlying complexity which becomes more apparent in the base of rich sycomore woods. Despite the richness of the mango and woods, the fragrance maintains a dry character which keeps it beautiful and delicate without becoming too sweet.

As with many of Ellena’s creations, the simplicity of the notes belie the complexity of the resulting fragrance, as Ellena has proven himself to be a master of illusion. Un Jardin sur le Nil possesses a strong but comfortable potency and sillage and its character is perfectly suitable for a man or a woman.

Citrus Woods

Notes: Green Mango, Lotus, Aromatic Rushes, Incense, Sycamore Wood.