French vineyards are very special places. And who better to appreciate this than Mathilde Thomas, founder of the grape-inspired beauty brand Caudalie. Ms. Thomas, whose family owns the Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard in Bordeaux, has captured the olfactive romance of her family’s vineyard at three special times of day – dawn, noon and dusk.
“I tried to bottle my family’s vineyard,†stated Ms. Thomas at a recent press event held at Caudalie’s Vinothérapie Spa at the landmark Plaza Hotel in New York City.
The first scent, Fleur de Vigne ($38), was actually created in 2002 by master perfumer, Anne Flipo. It evokes the scent of blossoming grape flowers at dawn – a treasured smell for any vintner because it heralds the grape harvest exactly 110 days later. To create this unique essence, Ms. Flipo blended grapefruit, mandarin and cedar.
Zeste de Vigne ($38), the noontime scent, recalls the citrus trees on the Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard when they are bathed in the light of the sun at its height. An orangery or “winter garden†is a vineyard tradition, where citrus trees grow and their rich aromas meld with the scent of oak wood barrels used to age the wine. Zeste de Vigne was created by accomplished perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, whose formulation features notes of sweet lemon, petit grain and bergamot.
The most luxurious and mysterious of the three fragrances, Thé des Vignes ($38) is inspired by the sensuality and stillness of dusk. Called l’heure bleue in French, this magical hour is captured in a scent that conjures images of purple grape skin melting into honey and fresh sap seeping from the vine. Created by perfumer Jacques Cavalier, the central theme of Thé de Vignes is white musk, blended with notes of ginger and neroli.
Identified by their distinct colors, each of the scents is packaged in a bottle that continues the grape theme with an etched image of an abundant bunch of grapes.
The three fragrances have joined the Caudalie brand lineup at retail this summer. They can be purchased at Sephora, bluemercury, select specialty retailers and www.caudalie-usa.com.
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