Malvin Richard, Lukas Lüscher, Serena Britos courtesty of Richard Lüscher Britos
When The Silver Fox reviewed Richard Luscher Britos Natural Terroir’s 14°S 48°E, Ambanja in north-eastern Madagascar, I was intrigued. This Swiss fragrance house has an impressive pedigree, and an amazing concept behind it; of the three founders, Malvin Richard is the son of esteemed perfumer Jean-Claude Richard, Lukas Lüscher is a perfume marketing authority and Serena Britos is an expert on ethnobotany, (the connection between plants and local culture). Terroir means land in French, with the connotation of the unique soil, climate and conditions that produce particular wines. Natural Terroir Perfumes worked with fantastic perfumers such as Andy Tauer, Vero Kern and Jean Claude Gigadot (Au Pays de La Fleur D'Oranger) to create an initial collection that delivers beautifully on its promise of transporting the wearer to a specific place, at the exact latitude and longitude.
Hotel Muottas Muragl courtesy of homedit.com
To me, Switzerland symbolizes serenity. I’m not a skier, but waking up under a plush eiderdown and then having morning coffee served on a terrace overlooking the snow-capped Alps is the closest to heaven I’ve been. (I happened to be about to leave Switzerland when the first Gulf War broke out and made “tearful” calls to my parents begging them to wire more money so I could stay where I’d be “safer in a neutral country.”)
Among The Bernese Alps, Albert Bierstadt
The fragrances are named by their map coordinates, which can be difficult to remember, but also bear indications of the place and feeling they are meant to evoke. 46०N 08०E is subtitled Valais: Swiss Mountain Cowboy, and the contrast inherent in that phrase is highly evocative of the fragrance itself. 46०N 08०E is immediately recognizable though the inspiration is the native flora and fauna of Switzerland, he has taken the raw materials and put his unique spin on them, an alchemy of wood and smoke and although M.Gigodot is French 46०N 08०E is unmistakably Swiss.
46०N 08०E Illustration Courtesy of Terroir Natural Perfumes
In addition to listing notes (Swiss pine, oakmoss, and fir balm) the Terroir website describes 46०N 08०E as follows: “Accord 1: Tough…Swiss pines..blue gentians…gurgling mountain streams…sun-warmed needles release a wonderfully fresh and aromatic perfume.” The copy goes on to mention nutcracker birds that stockpile pine seeds, the lichen that grows on the stately trees, and enjoying the silence after a thick blanket of snow by relaxing by a fireplace.
Valkulla, Anders Zorn, 1908
It is exceedingly difficult to create a pine-scented fragrance without evoking the sensation of cleaning products, and it is here that the quality of the natural ingredients excels. One can feel the pricks of the pointy tips of the pines and taste the slight bitterness of the pine sap. “Fresh” in this context does not mean the horrible ozonic notes in so many commercial fragrances, but a sense of the cool but thin air at high altitudes, where one becomes more conscious of breathing.
Smoke from a wood burning fire is definitely noticeable, but I sense it fueling a blond wood sauna where steam rises from stones gathered in a mountain stream, while a hint of lemon adds the cleanliness the Swiss are renowned for. The fragrance epitomizes the silence and calm of the mountains, but is only “rustic” in the sense that a ski chalet in the Alps is rustic. Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes Swiss Mountain Cowboy presents the best Swiss hospitality has to offer without the ten thousand dollar price tag attached and can whisk me away for a long weekend any time. 46०N 08०E also represents one of the rare chances to experience a hint of real oakmoss.
. Disclosure: Samples provided by Richard Lüscher Britos.
— Nancy Lichtenstein, Deputy Editor and Beauty Editor
Thanks to the great generosity of Lukas Lüscher, we have a sample set of 2ml each of all five Richard Lüscher Britos Natural Terroir Perfumes including 44°N 03°E Mystic Violet Hills by Andy Tauer, 04°N 74°W: Canton of Valais in Switzerland, 14°S 48°E’: Ambanja in Madagascar, 44°N 03°E: Causse Méjean, 04°N 74°W: the coffee plantations of Columbia and 38°N 16°E Calabria in southern Italy for a US or EU reader. You can follow Richard Lüscher Britos on Facebook to learn more about the founders’ journeys and olfactive philosophy. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about this fragrance. . If you are feeling ambitious and want your comment to count twice include the latitude and longitude of the locality that would be intriguing for Natural Terroir Perfumest to introduce next. For example Editor in Chief Michelyn Camen chose 6.1333° S, 39.3167° E, Zanzibar as a prospective tropical perfume. Be sure to indicate where you reside. Draw closes 8/25/2014.
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