Bergamotto di Calabria La Spugnatura

Guys this is REALLY good. Way different than the original... the herbal/green and very zesty qualities of the original are a bit more subdued. The Spugnatura is very round, almost has a floral (not feminine) quality to it. More fruity. It smells way more complex. It smells more and less ‘sour’ citrusy than the OG at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it... more ‘fresh’ citrusy like a fresh lemonade, but less zesty - more delicious in a way. It’s super good and has a much stronger longevity even though the sillage isn’t actually much louder than the original, if at all. I am still not sure if I’m willing to purchase it given the hefty price for a citrus frag. But I might if I find a good deal. The refillable bottle is a nice touch but doesn’t make much sense to me given the fact that it’s limited edition and not many people will empty a bottle this size in a short time frame. That being said, I hope they make this permanent somehow. Or as a recurring yearly thing of the bergamot harvest smells different each year (like Guerlain Muguet). Now I’m kinda curious what they could do with their other frags from the Blu Mediterraneo line like Arancia di Capri if they ever decide to produce some sort of prestige edition of the other ones

I bought blind the new Laura Gonzalez edition, because I was excited by a longer lasting Bergamot from AdP. Also the La Spunatura method back story is cool. Now I l’ve received it, I’m still trying to make up my mind as to what I think. On the one hand, the Bergamot is lovely and it is much more long lasting than the standard version. On the other hand, there is a synthetic edge to the drydown, I don’t mind it too much but also it seems unnecessary in this type of version. A word of caution - those who are hoping for an EdP version of Bergamotto di Calabria will be disappointed, this isn’t it. But it has enough of its own character to be interesting. Will give it a few more weeks before drawing a definitive view.

I never tried the original so it is impossible for me to compare, but this fragrance alone is absolutely incredible. I own Fico di Amalfi, Arancia di Capri, Colonia Essenza and in my opinion this new edition of BDC is the standout scent. It seems to last longer than a standard freshy, but I also own Xerjoff Renaissance which simply out performs every freshy on the market and this unfortunately doesn't quite live up to those standards. I honestly believe this should get ALOT more hype, but because its a variation to the existing fragrance, I think it will sadly fall short on sales. I personally love it and I hope more people get to experience it.

"But is it better than Bergamotto di Calabria?" Yes. Yes it is. A notable jump in freshness and doesn't "instantly evaporate" like its prior cousin. The main difference is how the assertive tart citron opener is exchanged for a softer-hitting grapefruit. The rest veers away from traditional musk/vetiver drydown toward a gentle expansively nuanced fusion of fennel, geranium, and perhaps something else I cannot place. Whatever it is, it's positively lovely. Easily in my top 5 ADP's and worth the price of admission. Grade: B+ Quick take: elegant juicy bergamot w/grapefruit

It's my favorite from the blue line and mainly because of the opening. It's the most natural and beautiful citrus I ever smelled. Sadly it does not last nor project. It's not for social occasions as nobody can notice it. For me it's the perfect scent for moments of reading when I want to enjoy it myself. Just bear in mind that is not versatile for its short lifespan. A cousin could be Bergamusk from Orto Parisi but with much more projection and sillage.

If you liked the original “ Bergamotto di Calabria” but thought “I wish the bergamot was stronger” then it is perfect for you. My partner and I were skeptical before smelling it because how special could it be? And we were pleasantly surprised. I love bergamot and it smells amazing. The fragrance has a moderate sillage for the first two hours or so and then it sits more closely to the skin for a few more hours. Overall, I'd rate it a 7.5/10.

Wow, this bergamot scent is truly something else! It's so fresh and vibrant, like walking through a citrus grove on a sunny morning. The grapefruit adds a nice tartness that balances the sweetness of the mandarin and orange. Definitely my new go-to for summer!

Really glad I discovered this while these are still for sale. Hand-crafted bottle and a beautiful fragrance. It makes me feel like I'm wearing something truly artisanal and special.

This needs to be in permenant collection, bring this back or at least make it aviable evrey summer season. PLEASE ADP PLEASEEEE

Smells like lemon italian ice, absolutely lovely

I always wanted one of the Blu Mediterranean frags but performance was just so bad. I was excited to see this new release and learn of the process and the beautiful bottle. The scent is very nice it’s not groundbreaking or a stand out fragrance but it’s a quality general citrus aromatic. It’s less bright then the original and more sour but where it stands out is the longevity. I got a solid 3-4 hours of decent projection and then it sits closer to skin for 8-9 hours. For this type of scent I will take that any day. I found at a decent price as retail is way to high for this type of frag. The bottle is refillable so probably get refills at a good price. I’m happy to add this to my collection and the bottle looks nice sitting with my others.

This was nice. Unlike the original that fades quickly, this one actually hangs around for a few hours on my skin which likes to eat ADP for breakfast. The opening and mid are better than the drydown. As others have pointed out, I think this has some ambroxen in it. To be clear, I'm not anti ambroxen. Nothing about this is outright bad IMO. Is it better than Bergamotto di Calabria? It performs better no doubt. But to me, Bergamotto di Calabria smells better. If anyone from ADP is reading this, keep up the good work. You're getting closer to striking a compromise between smell and performance. And please try to with Chinotto di Liguria to get more longevity as well.

Begins very bright, clean, slightly tart citrus. I feel like I’m zesting a lemon. Not weird peppery or salty undertones that a lot of typical freshies try to use. Just pure, gentle, and uplifting. The tiniest amount of a floral note is hiding under the zesty grapefruit/orange top. That must be the geranium. As it dries down it starts to smell very similar to other offers in the line. General citrus powder. Has similar longevity too, not much. Still, it’s a nice smell and might be worth it to you to reapply it.

I love the original. This is nice, leans a little masculine over the original which is straight on unisex- it has a Colonia vibe. On my skin it only last a couple hours. It will hang on clothing longer. Great for a warm summer evening.

I’ve worn the original Bergamotto di Calabria for years and it smells amazing but performs poorly. When I saw the launch of BDC Spugnatura I was thrilled and got a sample immediately. After wearing it once I was soon disappointed by the dry down. I love the whole sponge concept and was expecting a better performing version of the OG which it is but at the expense of the great OG scent. I thought the Spugnatura was going to smell even more natural than the OG but it smells more synthetic with a lot of ambroxan. The drydown of the OG is a smooth and musky experience while the Spugnatura is far more synthetic and abrasive. It does last longer but the only part that lasts is mostly ambroxan with everything else fading as quickly as the OG. In short, the Spugnatura is basically the same scent as the OG but with screechy ambroxan. There are some other subtle differences between the two but the OG has a magical drydown that Spugnatura lacks. If you want something like this at a fraction of the price try John Varvados Artison Pure (white bottle). The drydown is almost identical but the JV is stronger.

This feels like Demachy making a more niche version of Sauvage EDT (which I hate). The woody amber accord is VERY strong in this but unlike Sauvage they aren't abrasive/grating. In addition, the Bergamot note is very nice and makes the woody ambers less prominent. However the note/vibe is still there and it's really something I dislike. This could be a good substitute for Sauvage if you have a friend/partner in need of a new fragrance present.

It was the most interesting of the blue Parma scents, but over time you realize it’s mostly just pepper.

Opens nice then goes to hell. Spicy, B/O hell. ADP, enough BM variants.

I came so close to blind buying this & I'm so glad I didn’t. I agree with R_M, this is not very refreshing AT ALL on me. And yes it lasts a long time because there are some serious synthetics in here. I know it says cedar & vetiver as base notes but I swear I smell some ambroxan. TBH, I’m not a real fan of that so... It’s *somewhat* reminiscent of something like Le Labo’s Bergamote 22 (even D&G Light Blue!) It’s not bad but I was hoping for so much more so this is a serious disappointment. It’s not fresh & it’s not natural smelling imo. Oh well, $240 saved for something else!! I think it might smell better on the guys?!

Granted, I'm not a fan of citrus fragrances in general. Credit where credit is due though, this has a refreshing green quality which lends it a more natural lemony scent, far from the sweetened artificial vibe similar fragrances often let off. But still, it reminds me of a night out in a post-industrial British town going to see a C-list former Love Islander at Atik, the smell of its toilets or that of its men. And still, I have not enjoyed any Acqua di Parma.

Synthetic, abrasive woody/ambrox-style dry down. Not for me and cheap smelling.

So, I wrote further on down that I was curious about this. And finally had a chance to sample it here in Belgium. Like others have said. I’m glad I didn’t blind buy. This is much less masculine than the original, and if anything a sort of generic, with a kind of synthetic ambroxan vibe that you can find in a million and one other fragrances. The back story to this is so unique that I wanted to love it, the bergamot is there at the opening, juicier and fresher than the original. Then it goes surprisingly quickly. I got a kind of florally grapefruit after about hour. The vetiver, which I was worried about is barely there, but that ambroxan type smell. Just not for me. Actually really put me off. So what did I do? I was almost out of the classic bergamot (the 150 ml bottle goes pretty quick especially in warmer climes) so I just grabbed another bottle, had a sniff, compared the two and said “yep, original for me”. I’ll give them great marks for the longevity, I sprayed at lunch, it’s 8pm and it’s faint but still there, whereas the original is gone on my skin after, well pretty much two hours it’s barely a skin scent. But that’s the thing. For the while it’s on, it’s a classic bergamot. Which is what I hoped the limited edition would be. A sort of amped up version. It wasn’t. I’m not going to say I’m disappointed, because it’s a great house. And I love the fact that they are keeping these techniques going. The bottle too is a thing of beauty. My last thoughts are that for those who like the florally, faintly sweet aspects of chinotto do liguria, I think this will be a hit.

Complete olfactory notes from the Acqua di Parma site: Top Notes: Bergamot, Bitter Orange, Mandarin, Grapefruit Heart Notes: Galbanum, Geranium Base Notes: Cedarwood, Vetiver I sampled this carefully hoping to convince myself to buy but it's not as refreshing as I hoped it to be. The opening is not a zingy bergamot because of the other citrus fruits added. Very juicy but on the sweeter side. Also, as expected, the fragrance goes to the base notes almost immediately. Very clearly, I kept smellling vetiver and cedar (possibly some white musk too) and I realized they were there when I checked the site for the notes. The artisanal nature of the oil production makes this a vintage type product. Apparently, it'll be avaialble annually for refills and so it will depend on the quality of each year's harvest. Special and interesting. I'd love to have it in my wardrobe but not at the current U.S. price.

I've tried a fair bit of citruses in the past weeks and this one stands out. This is the type of citrus i like personally, where there is no neroli or bitterness, just the sweet citrust burst zest of the bergamot, lemon and orange. This is just that, and gorgeous - on the sweeter side, with a warm sandalwood feel underneath. I wouldn't mind more tartness, but I do really enjoy this. I'm not recognizing the fennel, which tends to smell a touch like anise to my nose. More of that woodsy sandalwood in the base which I do not see in the notes. ** 200 samples up for swap UK - check my customs, get in touch! **

@thiagovidotto I'm curious too as a huge fan of Bergamot. However, in the base notes i see vetiver, which can make things smell a bit fusty to my nose...so that makes me a bit reluctant to blind buy. I'm going to wait to see if any of this great community sample and read a few more reviews before deciding to take the plunge.

Didn't they make a new one? There is a limited edition one It has Laura Gonzalez name on it. I see it on their website and at Neman Marcus website, but not on fragrantica. I been wishing they'd make the Blu Mediterraneo Bergamotto di Calabria EDT in a EDP like they have for Fico and Capri. I wonder if this is it.

A big blast of citruses on top and through the mid. A tart and sweet experience done very well. It drys down to this white musk and floral tone with the citruses slightly hanging out in the background. Very lovely.

Not sure if my sample is off, but after a few lovely minutes of citrus all I’m getting is ambroxan. 😢 Maybe try before you buy, at least if you sometimes struggle with ambroxan like me.

Garden-variety spicy Bergamot but honestly more interesting than the other overrated citrus in this line like Arancia di Capri and Merto di Calabria, which I find lackluster.

I own everything in the Blu Mediterraneo Series, I would rather ADP comes out with a new Blu Mediterraeo scent instead of a flanker.