French perfumer Berdoues looked at a map of the world and felt inspired. Putting pins on various locations, it devised an olfactory expedition, expressed by the Grands Crus collection.
The brand's origins date back to 1902, when barber Guillaume Berdoues created an amber eau de cologne and opened a perfumery on Rue Lafayette in Toulouse.
The company is now led by fourth-generation Sophie Berdoues, who commissioned the Grands Crus. The ambitious project involves many perfumers designing scents that represent the likes of Brazil, Italy, India and China to name a few.
Selvo do Brasil ("Forest of Brazil") evokes the Amazonian forest through petitgrain from Paraguay, tonka bean from Brazil and Gaiac wood from Argentina.
Scorza di Sicilia is sparkling Sicilian bark, sourced from the Italian island, with added sweetness from sun-drenched fruits, such as citron from Calabria.
Assam of India, meanwhile, sees Citron from Menton added to tea and Mysore sandalwood to conjure up the aroma of tea plains in northeast India, where black Assam tea leaves are grown at sea level.
Chinese Osmanthus is magnified by a blend of benzoin and tonka bean in Péng Lái, inspired by a mythic island, where the goddess of flowers, He Xiangu, sojourned.
As with the best wines, prolonged maceration gives each Grand Cru its powerful personality. The collection of eight eau de parfum is available at Beauty Hall in Paragon department store and Skin Lab in Siam Discovery.
