Exploring ‘the iconic raw materials of perfumery’, this house does not hold back on the deliciousness. Focussing on sustainably produced ingredients, working with the best noses, and founded by industry stalwarts; get ready to completely re-think and re-fall for the gorgeousness of gourmand…

For most people, launching, running, and maintaining the success of one niche perfumery might be enough of a challenge, but Laboratorio Olfattivo founders (and married partners) Roberto Drago and Daniela Caon clearly felt there was a genuine ‘gap in the market’ as they put it because, as Drago explains, ‘…there wasn’t a brand that explored only gourmand notes. Some brands have fragrances with these ingredients, but no one has dedicated a full brand to it, so we did it.’ It’s a bold move, perhaps, but a well-judged one, with the weight of Drago’s years of experience behind him. Growing up in Turin, where his family owned a small perfumery, he recalls being ‘surrounded by fragrance’ from the earliest age. From there, he became a sales rep in the 1980s, working from the ground up to obtain a position within the prestigious Lancaster Group (whose scent brands encompassed Davidoff, Chopard and Joop). Later still, Roberto became General Manager of cosmetics company Orlane, where he met Daniela, and in 2001, launched their own distribution company. Some eight years later, Laboratorio Olfattivo launched – and, now Maison Tahité has joined the expanding fragrant empire.

All of this is not only to provide interesting background info, but to say quite simply: Roberto Drago knows his stuff, literally from the ground up, and has been watching the fragrance market not only see what is occurring now, but what the long-term needs of the consumer are. As we’ve previously reported – this resurgence of gourmand as a fragrance category certainly isn’t going away any time soon. Indeed, the demand is noticeably increasing over the past few years. The reasons for that are manifold – partly the global need for nurturing, indulgently delectable, and nostalgic yet contemporary scents; and partly the availability for perfumers of exciting new ingredient extractions that can completely re-facet what our nose knows as the gourmand fragrance family.

Suitably named after a variety of orchids called the Vanilla Tahitensis, the brand is far more than a mere representation of ‘foodie fragrances’ as we often call them, proudly declaring themselves as ‘an ode to the gourmand note,’ and presenting a new vision of sustainability, through ‘an inherent respect for the environment and the customer’s needs.’ They could have stopped at sourcing the ingredients sustainably, of course, but as with everything Drago and Caon do, the authenticity and passion is driven through the heart of the house. And so, they prioritised having ‘packaging made of recycled cardboard, vegetable glue, and paper made from almond shells’ along with placing ‘a plantable card’ inside each box, which they say is ‘a small gesture to let a flower bloom and offer a concrete contribution to making the planet a better place.’ The bottles themselves are a chic, minimalist, and contemporary vision of antique apothecary bottles, glowing with their amber glass (which was traditionally used to protect the precious perfume’s aroma molecules from evaporating). With this respect for the traditions of perfumery history, but using the best quality ingredients in exciting yet still reverential ways, we predict even previous gourmand naysayers will fall madly for many of these…

Drago says of the launch ‘We loved the idea of working on gourmand notes’ and this passion again is to be found in the perfumes themselves. Launching with three main categories of Ea ux de Parfums, the addictiveness is arrayed across Vanilla, Cocoa, and Coffee collections – each olfactory category occasionally overlapping, yet remaining utterly distinct in character. And so:

‘The Vanilla collection focuses on this fascinating raw material, showcasing its various expressions of warmth and security, via noses such as Marie Duchene, Lucien Ferrero and David Maruitte who conjure up a desire to escape to faraway paradises… alongside notes of sea salt, jasmine, citrus fruits and violet to name but a few…

The Cocoa collection investigates the aromatic universe of this divine raw material, also known as “the food of the gods”. By stimulating the release of endorphins, Cocoa pushes us to listen to our senses and indulge in hedonism. Its enveloping aroma is an invitation to enjoy every moment of life, without the guilty feelings often connected with the “sin” of eating chocolate. Perfumers such as David Maruitte, Paul Guerlain and Luca Maffei have developed this theme for Maison Tahité in a series of tempting creations.

The Coffee collection embarks on a new journey to discover one of the most popular gourmand raw materials in perfumery. According to the Experts, coffee aroma has about 5000 different shades and olfactory combinations that are difficult to replicate. In this crossroads of interpretations, the nose Delphine Lebeau, Paul Guerlain, Arturetto Landi, and Stephanie Bakouche, pay tribute to one of the main symbols of Italian “savoir vivre”.’

Which of the Maison Tahité collections (and fragrances so stunningly evoked within them) will you fall for first, we wonder? Our only advice can be to set aside all preconceptions you have of the gourmand categories, to take your time in your selection, and to follow your nose…