Bois 1920 - Oltremare
Imagine a work of art up on the wall in front of you. It is a masterpiece painted in all the atmospheric shades of blue. Harmonious lines cut straight through the deep blue of the painting. It draws us under its spell and gradually the frame slides out of our field of perception, and then, oh, a fine light breeze carries the scent of freedom to our nose! With a crash, the waves beat on the rugged cliffs below us. Startled, we realise that we are no longer before the painting - we are at the seaside itself.
Oltremare is a study in contrasting tones. First, a wave of aromatic, citrus notes - lemon, bergamot, orange, bitter orange, and lime. Then a second, greener layer of tannic elements such as Maté tea, violet leaf, juniper berries, geranium, and hyacinth swell up behind the citrus notes, and bump into them, causing our sensory mind to reboot and refresh like a computer screen. In the base, earth (patchouli), woods (sandalwood), and sea (ambergris) mix together to form a base that is neither land nor sea but takes something from both. It is an elegant conclusion to an elegant scent.
