Escale à Portofino is one of Les Escales de Dior, the fragrance collection based on Dior’s Couture Cruise Collection. Inspired by the idea of casual cruise travel, François Demachy, Dior’s then in-house perfumer, created a series of fragrances based on specific ports of call or ‘escales’. Launched in 2008, Escale à Portofino was the first fragrance in the series. This edition is still my favourite and the one I’m writing about here. It opens with a blast of nose-tingling bergamot that’s crisp, refreshing and green. It’s coupled with a note of fresh, green petitgrain. The petitgrain has a woody undertone that adds another dimension to the opening. Citron – that gnarly green-skinned Italian citrus fruit that people mistake for lemon but which is far more fragrant and much less sharp. It rounds out the top notes. Together, these citrus notes create a juicy citrus punch that’s sunny, bright and elegant. As the citrus settles, the floral aspect of petitgrain leads to a note of delicate orange blossom that’s floral, fresh and a little sweet. It adds depth and fullness, which is the perfect counterpoint to the citrus. A note of almond is bitter and creamy and adds to the Italian vibe of the fragrance. As it progresses, juniper shows up. It’s piney, crisp and green and gives Escale à Portofino a little gin and tonic kick. It all sits on a base of fresh, woody, piney-tinged Italian cypress fragrance and rich, warm cedar. A note of fresh, herbaceous galbanum keeps the botanical feeling at the base, as a note of slightly spicy caraway adds warmth. Musk, warm, soft and sensual, completes the fragrance. The drydown is aromatic and smooth with a retro-chic that gives it more presence than most summer fragrances but still stays light and summery. Notes: Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian petitgrain, Italian citron, orange blossom, almond, juniper, Mediterranean cypress, cedar, galbanum, caraway and musk.
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