Launched in 1988 by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier as part of their Les Aromatiques collection for men, Garrigue was inspired by the scent of the fragrant piney shrubs and aromatic herbs the mistral wind gathers on its journey from the north to the Mediterranean coast.

This aroma is the signature scent of Provence, especially of the Vaucluse region of the Southern Rhône Valley, and is called garrigue (gah-REEG).

The eau de toilette opens green and bitter from bergamot, mellowed out by a fresh, citrus note from lemon. This is a fairly standard opening for a man’s fragrance, but lemons are indigenous to the south of France, so they belong here, making the opening less contrived than most. Then, as the opening fades, wild thyme, rosemary and sage come forward. They smell sun-bleached and dry and are lifted with a piney note from juniper berries. Rosewood gives it a lovely, sweet note that tempers any harshness and hints at a woody base of sandalwood softened with musk.

The drydown is dry, cool, soft and woody – just like the scent of the air carried by the mistral.

Garrigue is evocative of a place more than a person or an experience, yet sometimes that wild thyme, rosemary, sage and rosewood combo is all I can think about.

Notes: bergamot, lemon, wild thyme, rosemary, sage, juniper berry, rosewood, sandalwood, musk.