REVIEW: Montale, Vetiver des Sables (2004)

Notes: Wild Vetiver, Mahogany Wood, Iodized Indian Spices.

Pros: An almost creamy vetiver wrapped in an aromatic blanket of spices and woods.

Cons: Slightly sharp during the initial opening of the scent, but this quickly relaxes.

Reminds me of: It's very hard to compare this one, as its not as sweet as Lutens, not as woody as Le Labo, not as dark as MPG, and not as green as Guerlain. To top that off, there's a marine note (saltwater) that lurks throughout adding an intriguing and unique freshness.

Development: Very interesting; the fragrance shifts through a number of different characters while managing to retain the same bouquet; at first it's sharp, then it becomes creamy, then it shows an almost marine/saltwater accord before coming back to the warm, earthiness of the opening.

Longevity: Excellent a good 5-6 hours on my skin.

Sillage: Just right.

Where can I buy it? $122 for a 100ml edp spray at Suravionline.com. Price includes continental shipping within the US and is discounted exclusively for Scenteur7 and Basenotes readers. Please make sure to visit and enter your info for your chance to win special Montale products from Suravi and Scenteur7. Read more here.

Bottleworthy: Most definitely, and I'm not really a vetiver fan.

The Bottom Line: I know I was impressed with the straightforward and oriental nature of Le Labo's Vetiver 43, but I'm even more intrigued with this unusual vetiver composition. Vetiver des Sables is truly all about vetiver, but the sables notes are the key to the magic of this composition with echoes of Goutal's syrupy Sables and CSP's acquatic Motu, a most unusual combination. There's something about this vetiver scent that makes me want to wrap it in chocolate and eat it as a truffle, or perhaps just pour it all over a waffle with vanilla ice cream...sounds gourmand, doesn't it? Yet it isn't really. It's just a bewitching blend of notes that works perfectly. Now, if I can only remove my wrist from my nose for more than 30 seconds, I might actually be able to go out in public and share this scent with fellow citizens.

Rating (out of 10): 8

I know there are a lot of vetiver fans out there - who's tried this one?