Maison Galimard Héritage Collection photo via the Brand
One of my pleasures this past Esxence 2025 was the rediscovery of the exquisite fragrances of Maison Galimard, a venerable house dating back to 1747: one of the first French fragrance maisons, it was founded by Jean de Galimard, Lord of Seranon – who was a member of the Gantiers Parfumeurs (society of glovemakers and perfumers) in the court of Louis XV. Their brand-new Héritage Collection is a marvelous place to begin.
Galimard factory and Museum in Grasse via Galimard
I first encountered the Maison Galimard in the summer of 1972 while hitchhiking through Provence. I was obsessed with fragrance, and the ancient city of Grasse fueled this thirst. I had frequented the Fragonard and Molinard factories/museums and was well-acquainted with their products – but Galimard was new to me. A few years later I visited their newer factory in the charming medieval town of Èze-Villages as well. What struck me then (and continues to this day) was how they had managed to escape my notice: even rarified, highly-specialized pharmacy/boutiques in the U.S. carried choice concretes, parfums, and toiletries from the other two houses, but none from Galimard.
Grasse via galimard.com
The city of Grasse figures prominently in the fragrance industry, and its legacy continues today. In medieval times (during the 12th Century), leather tanning was a thriving industry, thanks in part to a small canal which ran through the city: unfortunately, the miasma tanning produced was intolerable. These processed hides traveled via waterways to Genoa and Pisa, and the Italians prized them. It is believed that the Moors brought jasmine to the south of France at the same time that Henri the Second’s new bride Catherine de Medici arrived from Florence – in the 16th C. Catherine brought not only her coterie of Tuscan chefs and pâtissiers, but also her own court perfumer, Renato Bianco – and with him, the Florentine custom of scenting gloves. In 1614, Louis XIII introduced the creation of a society of glovemakers and perfumers known as the Maîtres Gantiers-Parfumeurs, and by the end of the 18th century Grasse became known as the world capital of perfume: the unique microclimate was exceptionally well-suited to floral cultivation thanks to its warmer temperatures, being sheltered from sea air due to its elevation, and an abundant water supply.
Current day family photo of Cédrick Guilbaud, Delphine Roux, Jean-Pierre Roux, Stéphane Roux via galimard.com
Maison Gallimard takes its name from the famous gantier-parfumeur Jean de Galimard, who produced toiletries, olive oil, etc. for Louis XV – but the house (as we know it) really began to take shape in 1920-1940, when Siméon Roux produced orange blossom and jasmine absolutes and olis for great fragrance houses. Since then, his descendants have kept alive and revitalized the brand – which brings us up to date.
Perfumer Yusuke Masuda in lavender field via his IG
Maison Galimard Héritage Collection was created this spring to commemorate and celebrate three emblematic flowers of Grasse: jasmine, rose, and tuberose (referred to as J, R, and T by the brand). Galimard’s timing could not have been improved upon, and their presence at Esxence was their first exhibition. I am grateful to Amélie Archilla, who represented the house and took great pains to walk me through Galimard’s nouveautés. Their house nose is Yusuke Masuda, a talented young Japanese perfumer who has the following to say about his combined sensibilities and the creation of the Héritage Collection (my translation from the French): “The Maison Galimard Héritage Collection is an homage to both the soul of Galimard and the timeless art of perfumery. Inspired by the flower fields of Grasse, the jewels of our patrimony – it captures the eternal beauty of the enchanting countryside. In merging my Japanese roots with the Provençal heritage, I have created perfumes which celebrate the passing on of tradition and the emotion of cherished moments. Héritage is a memory captured in a flacon, an invitation to dream.”
via Galimard.com
Maison Galimard Héritage Collection J (Jasmine): J is an ode to purity, freshness, and the spirit of Provence. It is a fully-fleshed olfactory sonnet which takes one by surprise, because no other jasmine fragrance resembles it in the least. I am a great lover of jasmine-centric perfumes and have smelt a countless number of them over the past 50+ years, so I mean what I say. A sprightly mandarin paves the way for the woody, tonic fig which showcases a maquis aspect of immortelle (as opposed to the maple syrup facet); a more musky, herbal aroma. We find ourselves in windswept territory. Potent jasmine is garnished with a soft cereal tone (oat) in the shade of an olive grove. White musk provides a gentling longevity without significantly altering the overall character of this fragrance: untamed, earthy, and primal – where the concurrence of floral and woody intersect. J notes: mandarin, fig, immortelle, jasmin de Grasse, oat, olive wood, white musk
via Galimard.com
Maison Galimard Héritage Collection R (Rose): Our rosa centifolia presents herself in a veritable garden, enthroned amidst greenery spanning the delicate to the powerful. She represents a youthful immediacy which I find irresistible. If you have grown roses in a plot with other scented plants, you may be familiar with mint’s propensity to grow wild and choke them; those mints in particular require careful observation and discipline. In R, the perfumer has introduced peppermint judiciously – just enough to evoke the outdoors. A deft dash of star anise for spice, petitgrain’s complexity to underline rose’s fruitiness, vetiver to enliven the palette and provide realism. Matcha tea lends an herbal delicacy marked by a tender haylike, leathery facet, lightly spiced. For me, the cautious employment of guaiac wood is a coup; the meatier, smokier characteristics of this material are not evident, and the end result is a base which smells more balsamic than overtly woody. Perfumer Masuda has given us a lively portrait of the rose de Mai. R notes: peppermint, star anise, petitgrain, rosa centifolia, guaiac wood, matcha tea, Haïtian vetiver
via Galimard.com
Maison Galimard Héritage Collection T (Tuberose): Parents are not supposed to have ‘favorite’ children – so I sighingly confess that T is my favorite in spite of myself. Its sweet, seductive spiciness is a glory which never cloys, and that sweetness refuses to outstay its welcome. Much as I adore tuberose, it may come across (in some fragrances) as a forceful, ebullient floral replete with mentholated and rubbery tones: that is but one feature of its singular charm. In T, however – there is little about which to feel ambivalent. Perhaps it is an anti-gourmand floral gourmand, possessed of enough bitterness, spice, and warmth to counterbalance the cool carnality of tuberose that we most frequently anticipate. Perfumer Masuda triumphs here; T is a chalorous, welcome embrace which I will enjoy throughout the year. I can only imagine how it will bloom in summer’s swelter. T notes: blood orange, cardamom, clove, tuberose, sandalwood, ginger, amber
Ida with Galimard Representative Amelie Archilla at Esxence
Disclaimer: Mme. Archilla graciously offered me a Maison Galimard Héritage Collection coffret (in all likelihood because I was so overwhelmed by it), which I gratefully accepted – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Launching April 28, 2025
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