Giardino di Ercole

The name, meaning "Garden of Hercules", comes from the story of a statue of Hercules found in the garden of the laboratory of Agatho, the ancient perfumer of Pompeii. The brand describes that garden as an open-air library of raw materials, where citrus, roses and aromatic plants grow in volcanic soil.

The scent opens with bright bergamot and the gentle herbal tone of lavender. The green, needle-like edge of juniper berries and the tartness of rhubarb give the start a brisk, energetic quality.

In the middle, the bite of black pepper and pimento is softened by the dry aromatic quality of clary sage and the warmth of saffron. As in the brand's image of "the alchemy of fire", incense smoke wraps the composition and leads it toward a resinous calm.

The drydown joins the soft, dry woodiness of cashmeran with the sweet resin of styrax and pencil-like cedar. The spice and smoke settle into a woody layer that leaves a quiet sense of strength.