“Rugged ravines plunging into the sea, trails trodden by goats, and the glittering Tyrrhenian below. Finding the finest varieties of Bergamot means climbing all the way up here. Where visitors are welcomed - Kalòs irtete! - in Greek.” [travel notes]
Our return journey to our homeland - the sunlit Italy of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Arabs and Normans - begins with Bergamot: a cross between a lemon and a bitter orange, this citrus fruit is the prince of perfumery, found in almost all the most popular formulas today.
But because of its volatility, this particular prince has never received the honour it deserves. So we went right back to extraction, following its ancient traditions. A curved knife is used to remove the pulp and leave the peel behind, also known as “Bergamot sponge”. It is then passed over a natural sponge to collect the essence. The fruity base and delicate floral notes of Jasmine in our Bergamotto di Calabria draw inspiration from our return to the past.
Its decidedly modern, invigorating freshness comes from additional exotic touches and our lengthy experiments with Bergamot to make it persistent and zingy.
