Joe Malone Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense image © Jo Malone Lost in Wonder

 Scent as magic carpet and time machine can take us almost anywhere. Jo Malone Cypress and Grapevine, the new Cologne Intense from the Jo Malone Lost in Wonder Collection, and its sister scent Fig and Lotus Flower, were envisioned by creative director Celine Roux and  IFF perfumer Sophie Labbé as a means of fragrant time travel to the vineyards and Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Firmenich Senior Perfumer Sophie Labbé (photo by Essential Parfums ©) and Jo Malone Creative Director Celine Roux

“Foliage and revelry enliven the expansive terraces and noble arches of the ancient Hanging Gardens. Statuesque cypress trees infuse the air with their fresh, aromatic scent…” – Jo Malone

After sampling Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense for several days, I have to admit that the celebrated green wonder of the ancient world was not the first historical or mythical location that came to mind.

Forest near Bettex in the Valle d’Aosta, Italy.  Photo by Agnes Monkelbaan © via Wikimedia Commons.

The initial, bracing masculinity and fresh lavender of  Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense is, not so much a vision of manicured and terraced gardens as it is an image of the wild landscapes of ancient Roman Cisalpine Gaul and the high-altitude vineyards of the Valle d’Aosta. The first green, invigorating breath of Cypress and Grapevine, like the cool mountain air, dark forests and waterfalls of the Northern Italian “Valley of Augustus”, slowly opens onto vistas of cultivated vines, ripe for harvest.

Baco (Bacchus) by Caravaggio – 1598

The scents of grape “must”, sharp cypress, slightly bitter green wood and vetiver suggest the perfect autumn retreat for Bacchus and his crew of reveling maenads and satyrs.

 Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense.  Bottle photo by Gail Gross ©

 Jo Malone Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense is at once elegantly cultivated and at the same time wild and free. After at least eight hours on skin and upwards of a day on clothing, the high altitude terroir of grapes and evergreens dries into a sunny afternoon of chartreuse tinted amber, coming to rest in alpine meadows and on banks of golden green moss.

Notes: Cypress, lavender, wine grape, grapevine accord, cedar wood, vetiver, amber and moss.

Disclaimer:  I would like to thank Jo Malone for my cherished and already well-used bottle of Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense. My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

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Cypress and Grapevine Cologne Intense is from the Lost in Wonder Collection and available at jomalone.com and Jo Malone London boutiques nationwide.

What’s your favorite Jo Malone fragrance? What appeals to you about Gail’s review?