La Capitale

By the editors · 2 min readThe name suggests a city of consequence, and the composition follows through. An opening of strawberry, peach, and caramel is warmer and more immediately gratifying than Xerjoff's typically austere orientals — there's sweetness here right from the start, though labdanum underneath keeps it from reading as purely gourmand. The heart is where the character emerges: leather adds a dry animalic counterpoint, saffron contributes its faintly medicinal earthiness, and rose bridges the gap without turning floral. Benzoin in the base sweetens and smooths the dry-down to a warm amber resin. Dense but not heavy — a cold-weather oriental built for lingering.