Created by Francis Kurkdjian and Françoise Caron, Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile Edizione Speciale 2008 was first lunched as Iris Nobile as ad EDT in 2004 by Italian fragrance house Acqua di Parma. An EDP version was launched in 2006 while special edition flacons of the EDP were launched in 2008 and 2010. My bottle is from 2008.

So what makes this iris so noble? The Florentine iris that beats at the heart of it, but before we get to the heart we need to start at the top.

It opens with star anise warming sweet juicy mandarin and bitter bergamot softened with floral, fragrant orange blossom. The opening has no harsh blasts of citrus or spicy edges, but a transparency that hints at what’s to come - a floral heart of Florentine iris and exotic ylang ylang. The iris used here is the flower, not the sweaty, dirty-smelling orris root, and while it’s not a heavily fragranced flower, it is an important one to Florence.

Florentine iris is a white iris, native to the city of Florence. Displayed against a red background, it was once the coat of arms for the city until the Medici reversed the colours to signify a shift in political power. It’s the nobility of the Florentine iris that Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile Edizione Speciale 2008 pays homage to.

The Florentine iris combined with the ylang-ylang creates a rich floral accord. It smells like a bouquet of flowers, but more of white florals than iris. A note of peach gives it a gentle fruitiness while cumin, slightly bitter and anisic echoes the top notes. Amber and vanilla at the base sweeten it up just enough, while oakmoss and patchouli play the perfect counterpoint to the citrus opening by giving it some depth and darkness.
The drydown is like the Florentine iris: regal, aristocratic and elegant. It is as advertised: ‘Iris Nobile’ says it all.

A modern chypre, and an Italian one at that, Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile Edizione Speciale 2008 is such a pleasure to wear. If you let it into your life, it will become a favourite. 

Notes: star anise, mandarin, bergamot, orange blossom absolute, Florentine iris, ylang-ylang, peach, cumin, vanilla, patchouli, ambrette crystals, oak moss.