Year: 2014
Nose: Vanina Muracciole
L'Art de la Guerre opens with a beautiful, dusty, boozy accord of tobacco, patchouli, amber with fresh bergamot notes. Shady, meditative and sophisticated, with a gloomy, earthy and almost threatening natural-organic soul. The central note which is brilliantly encapsulated in the blend is a superb rhubarb rendition, which basically is halfway floral and fruity with crunchy, bittersweet nuances and an overall gloomy, edible, earthy, camphor and almost waxy feel. This waxy-earthy feel brilliantly links with the musky/powdery and mossy side of the scent, giving life to a sort of unique and "new" chypre, the rhubarb acting as a sort of disguised "replacement" for the animalic-powdery structure of classic chypres. One of the best Jovoy's so far in my opinion, if not the best one: it has an amazing, unique, sophisticated aromatic carnality with some really peculiar silky, but also stale-camphor shades, and a base dustiness of amber and patchouli. The rhubarb note (is that the new sensation for 2014?) gives it quite a unique personality, and for me it's one of the best "uses" of this note among the ones I've tried so far. It also eventually emerges a subtle, perfectly executed leather/suede note, with oak moss and a rooty-creamy note of violet and perhaps ginger. The overal pot-pourri is quite a fascinating rendition of "rootiness", an almost mystical depiction of the gloomy power of nature, not in a (more "predictable") green-floral way, rather focusing on dust, soil, roots, with even a hint of edible "vegetable" feel (the nondescript aroma of rhubarb). There is also a similarity to some '80s fougères at some points, especially to the drydown of the more mossy/leathery ones (first reference that came to my mind, among many others: Quorum by Puig). Which to me, speaking as a fan of that heritage, is of course a pleasant tribute to smell – I say "tribute" in a positive way, because it is a matter of some iconic notes of that class of scents (oak moss, tobacco, leather) which are perfectly blended in something different and new - bright and silky floral notes, a modern composition style, the rhubarb accord. On the drydown it all becomes more gentle, still dark, just more mellow and quieter, also adding a sort of licorice-like note, which I guess it's all the rooty-earthy potion just getting softer and therefore sweeter. Bold persistence. A genius hint of fresh-aromatic fruity/floral note (bergamot, apple) gives the scent a persistent silky breeze which perfectly blends with the overall gloominess. Brilliant!
8,5-9/10
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