L’Eau de Reims smells very French. Primarily an essay on the fresh, celery-like greenness of petitgrain and neroli, Duchaufour twists things in a slightly chypré direction with a generous lick of salty, dark green oakmoss. Even more delightfully, proceedings open here with a volley of bitter, lemony eau de cologne-style notes that last just long enough to jolt its wearer awake.
The real star of L’Eau de Reims, however, is that remarkable petitgrain-neroli accord. Although neroli is not listed, we’re sure we smell its modulating influence here, softening the lemony sharpness of the petitgrain with its characteristic soapy freshness and its lingering vegetal notes. A hint of geranium emphasizes the spicy, leafy greenness of the neroli. Oakmoss provides structure to the drydown, supporting the freshness of the petitgrain-neroli heart with a robust, salty minerality that never strays into dankness. We think L’Eau de Reims is a real tour de force for summer wear – as fresh and clean as a traditional eau de cologne, yet with the salty heft of a properly French chypre base. A new classic in the making? We think so.
