Maestrale Profumi di Pantelleria

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The Mistral is a wind that blows from the northwest in the south of France. In maritime culture, it is the main wind that carries all the “forces” of the Mediterranean. The wind is associated with movements; it is a symbolic aspect of the breath of nature, bringing spiritual and vital energy and embodying the most important link between heaven and earth.
The history of the Maestrale fragrance is complex and includes at least two different versions created under the Profumi di Pantelleria brand. The original Eau de Parfum was released around 2006, while a new, more intense Extrait de Parfum version was launched in 2018 as part of the brand’s renewal and the new “Gold Collection”. The 2018 version, created by perfumer Luca Gritti, has a completely different aromatic profile and packaging than its namesake. The pyramid of the latest version: Top notes: Grapefruit, Juniper Berries and Saffron; middle notes: Leather and Black Violet; base notes: Raspberry, Cashmeran and Vetiver.
The new one has nothing in common with the eponymous Eau de Parfum (except for the name), although the inspiration for them was the same powerful Mediterranean wind – the Mistral. The new perfume was created from scratch by perfumer Luca Gritti, who replaced Maurizio Cerizza as the brand’s full-time perfumer along with the change of ownership. The differences are immediately noticeable: the 100 ml glass bottle of Maestrale Parfum has a cubic shape, hand-covered with gold leaf and lacquered, with a stopper carved from Brazilian rosewood. In contrast to the fresh and gray, spicy fougere that I am familiar with (and very similar to Declaration Cartier with a green start), the new Maestrale is a rather sweet, leathery oriental fragrance. However, even in this decision, one can find the logic of the old Maestrale – a cold mistral blows from the northwest, and the new leather Maestrale – a persistent warm aroma that will help to warm up. The perfume begins fresh and transparent, with a chord in which safranal and raspberry ketone color the fresh floral-powdery base of lily of the valley and ionones in a red-violet color. The combination of saffron and raspberry is reminiscent of all the raspberry-leather fragrances that were once very popular (Tuscan Leather Tom Ford, Black Saffron Byredo) – and the development does not deceive these expectations. The raspberry note, sweet and warm, symbolizes femininity, the saffron note, bitter and metallic – masculinity. The fragrance, initially fluctuating between feminine and masculine images, at one moment becomes warmer and more feminine, as if letting out her long black hair from her cap, but then becomes stern again, hiding her hair back and making a fake mustache. follows in the footsteps of Black Saffron Byredo (even in the descriptions, just compare their notes in the Fragrantica database!), and creates the same rich aroma using minimal means.
In this long, long story about 1001 nights, girls cut their hair and put on armor, turning into young brave warriors. Thin-handed young men hide their faces, changing into women’s clothes, and under the cover of night penetrate foreign harems. The fragrance first breathes the acrid tobacco of the old, then smells of the sweet pink breath of an Indian bride; then the fine powder and sweetness of fruits and berries shine through, after which the taste of blood on a bronze handle remains. At one point it’s an old oak tabletop, then raspberries with powdered sugar and rose water on a black suede plate. (I’m writing down the description for Black Saffron Byredo) but it fits Maestrale Parfum as well. Of course, a simultaneous, parallel comparison from the two hands also shows some differences. For example, Black Saffron Byredo has more of a pear-like tone at the beginning, and it warms up to a fluffy purple heart faster, while Maestrale Parfum has a more pronounced start with an aldehyde lily of the valley, descending deep into the heart of the fragrance. The heart of Black Saffron Byredo is sweeter and more raspberry-rich, while in the heart of Maestrale Parfum the leather and vetiver are more pronounced, and the raspberry sweetness comes out in full force later. The fragrances for me resembled a double star; two fragrances revolving around one common center. It can also be noted that this is a much more persistent perfume than Black Saffron Byredo, since its concentration is higher. Besides Maestrale, I would like to briefly mention two other fragrances of the brand dedicated to the island with the romantic name “daughter of the winds.” Both of them were inherited by the new owners and were created by Maurizio Cerizza.