Noir Exquis was released in 2015, composed by Bertrand Duchaufour for L'Artisan Parfumeur. The fragrance recounts an unplanned rendezvous in a Parisian pastry shop: candied chestnut and candied orange at the opening, coffee and maple syrup at the heart, a dark vanilla set against ebony and sandalwood to finish.
Candied chestnut and candied orange
The announced opening pairs candied chestnut, a sweet and powdery confection, with candied orange. The house counts these two materials among its three main notes and presents them as the display window of a pastry shop.
Coffee and maple syrup
The heart returns to coffee, which the house describes as addictive, and to maple syrup, amber and sticky. Orange blossom accompanies them and holds the composition on the floral side, without which the gourmand character would tip into dessert.
Vanilla, ebony and sandalwood
The base pairs a dark vanilla with tonka bean and heliotrope, whose almond facet extends the confection. Macassar ebony and sandalwood bring a dry wood that contains the sugar.
What the label declares
The label declares coumarin, which overlaps with the announced tonka bean, isoeugenol and benzyl cinnamate, two balsamic materials close to Peru balsam that the announced accord says nothing about. Farnesol adds a subtle floral facet.
Limonene and linalool carry a citrus and floral share. Two UV filters and an antioxidant complete the list: they protect a juice whose dark color betrays its richness in materials.