La Grange du Parfumeur Jasmin à l’Aube

“ Ici, le parfum est un poésie.” (Here, perfume is poetry.) ~ Alexandra Bachand, perfumer and Creative Director of La Grange du Parfumeur.

La Grange du Parfumeur and Alexandra Bachand

Nestled between Mt. Assiniboine (known as the Matterhorn of the Rockies) and Lake Memphremagog (meaning ‘vast lake’ in the Abenaki language), Québecoise artisanal perfumer Alexandra Bachand established La Grange du Parfumeur in 2014 – a full decade ago.  A great deal has happened since, and it seems that 2024 is a fortuitous year for her: at Esxence Milano this past March, she was invited as an international guest-ambassador by the Osmothèque, where she helped present the perfumes, missions, and projects of the World’s Perfume Archive in Versailles.

Taste TV Gold Award

She also won the Top Artisan Fragrances of the Year and Artisan Fragrance Salon (Taste TV, aka TASTY awards) Gold award in several categories. Her gold standing included these areas of expertise: top artisan perfume, star ratings overall (4.5 stars), scent artistry, aroma, and most exciting discovery. Her Silver awards were for a) best scent name; b) most unique; and c) ingredient combinations. Which perfume garnered the attention of expert judges? Her latest fragrance, Jasmin à l’Aube (Jasmine at Dawn). When I was offered the opportunity to experience it, I leapt at it: I cannot resist a good jasmine, ever. I was all too happy when my little flacon arrived from Québec, because La Grange du Parfumeur Jasmin à l’Aube is a precious commodity.

Alexandra Bachand photo courtesy of the perfumer

“Au petit matin, une douce lumière à demie voilée, reflète l’immense beauté d’une fleur de jasmin veloutée (In the wee hours of the morning, a gentle, half-veiled radiance reflects the immense beauty of a velvety jasmine blossom.).” ~ Alexandra Bachand, perfumer

Why choose jasmine for that profound sensation of bien-être?  It’s no secret that I’ve embroiled myself for years in scientific documentation regarding jasminoides. Quite simply, they mimic the effect of benzodiazepines in the body (i.e., effects similar to Valium, Ativan, or Xanax) without their accompanying untoward side effects. In Jasmin à l’Aube, perfumer Alexandra Bachand has evoked the pure elegance of this indolic white blossom in a natural, unforced manner; she allows her materials to speak for themselves.

Pixabay jasmine

Jasmin à l’Aube presents us with a fully-fleshed portrait of the dewy, spicy floralcy of the king and queen of flowers at daybreak: fecund and moist, glistening amidst burgeoning rays of light which precede the unveiling of the coming day. Mme. Bachand’s interpretation reveals an exuberant, unselfconscious volupté of considerable tenacity and marvelous sillage – achieved not by simulation, but rather via an abundance of high-quality botanical materials seasoned with aromachemicals purely for beauty’s sake. This is why La Grange du Parfumeur Jasmin à l’Aube’s naturalism provides unrivaled olfactory pleasure: were you gathering blossoms in the early hours, your experience might mirror the perfumer’s tender depiction. There is not a single element that I do not delight in. It is not unusual to see jasmine paired with nutmeg or clove, even basil (one of my favorite couplings is an indolic jasmine + basil!) – but the inclusion of cardamom is both envoûtant and unexpected. Pear frequently accompanies rose, as several varietals waft its fruity subtlety – but yet again, it complements the rapturous animalic nature of jasmine grandiflorum (another favorite!) beautifully. White sweet clover leaves, when crushed – are reputed to smell richly vanillic; to evoke the flower, amyl salicylate is often employed. I don’t know which route the perfumer has chosen, but the fact that it doesn’t affect the splendid outcome is sufficient to slake my curiosity. As we have come to understand, lists of notes may only hint at what is to come, and comprise only a fraction of a scent’s fragrant story. Vegetal ambrette is a marvelous way to enhance and anchor Jasmin à l’Aube: its musky/herbal/floral presence does not obscure the overall composition, and is a feathery way to infer a gentle animalism. As is often the case with such musks, many may not perceive them (anosmia to musks is fairly common), but that doesn’t change their efficacy.

Alexandra at her perfume organ

La Grange du Parfumeur Jasmin à l’Aube is a must for those who venerate rich white florals and appreciate the round sensuality of an indole-inflected jasmine. As I love animalics and they tend to return the favor, I found it to be a perfume which I will happily wear all year ‘round. It may bring you sweetly erotic dreams. And there is little doubt in my mind that those in your olfactory orbit are likely to glean its calming effects; that has been my own experience more times than I can count. Any way you choose to look at it, it’s easy to understand why multiple judges agree that it’s a winning fragrance.

Notes: cardamom, pear, jasmine grandiflorum (India), white sweet clover, ambrette

My petit flacon was kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks, Alexandra!  My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

La Grange du Parfumeur Jasmin à l’Aube 30 ml

Thanks to the generosity of Alexandra Bachand of La Grange du Parfumeur, we have one 30 ml bottle of Jasmin à l’Aube for one registered reader in the USA or Canada. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what sparked your interest in Ida’s review, and where you live.10/9/2024

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