Route du Vetiver

Vetiver is such a fascinating material, and like many others is changable due to many factors not least of which being the interactions within a perfume composition, pushing the stuff hither and thither into differing directions. I can safely say that lovers of an authentic, 'heavy' artisanal, vetiver will love this one. I did. does have some lush notes right the top but soon descends to it's main intention...a woody affair and in my limited knowledge of vetiver materials feels a bit more Java than Haiti. It feels 'aged' in the way that amber accords give that musty, dustiness, but this has a certain edible, 'nutty' quality to it I think there's sandalwood in this, it's such a thick composition but it's never too dense, it definitely has an air to it and wears beautifully on the skin. I wouldn't however recommend this in the normal sense a vetiver perfume can be worn, ie: in any situation, and perhaps as a functional/dumb reach when you can really pick a mood/temperature or whatever, which tends to be when I'd reach for one. It has quite a dark aura about it and it's not exactly witchy but it's no mood elevator either, perfect time and place are required for wearing it, and as much as I loved it, I can't see myself reaching for it too often, which is a shame for the person who kindly supplied my vintage sample, because as soon as I said I liked it he proceeded to try to sell me his bottle! There's many perfumes like this, brilliant and highly recomended by me, but I'll never own them myself. This is a veteiver for fans of vetiver oils lovingly converted into faithful perfumes.

I blind bought a full bottle of this as being a vetiver lover and one who was intrigued by the reviews for this scent, I couldn't resist. And I can assure you I was not in the least bit disappointed at all! This is an outright masterpiece. Whilst I had been expecting something of a beast, with an opening that would require me to quarantine myself for an hour or so, this is far from the case. The opening is actually one of the most breathtaking I've ever experienced! On my skin it's a blast of moist, rooty vetiver, one of the best iterations on the planet, combined with some luscious black current and a hint of jasmine. The drydown is nothing short of genius, with a beautiful sandalwood joining the rapture and the jasmine becoming more forthright. But make no mistake, the vetiver is the star of the show here right throughout the journey, and oh how divine it is! Silage is perfect, out to a meter or so for the first hour or two before it draws closer to you and longevity is excellent. I can still easily detect the dry down after 8hrs and longer. Route Du Vetiver is in my opinion, right at the top of the vetiver pantheon, and deservedly so. Earthy, masculine & woody (and omg the black currant is amazing), it demands attention and will turn heads everywhere you go. I can't recommend this to vetiver lovers enough. Simply stunning. PS: This review is for the re formulation. I can only imagine what the vintage version is like. A complete jaw dropper I would suggest!

Wow what a fragrance! I am sniffing as many Vetiver fragrances as I can get my hands on this week. I was not expecting anything like this! Ç'est Magnifique! It is amazing to me when someone is able to combine notes in such a way - a majestic balance takes place with such equilibrium they have no choice but to guide each other to a singular unique note experience. You don't need much to accomplish this - aside from a few beautiful ingredients and years and years of laborious exercise. The boozy slightly tart jellied black current and damp sweet lightly indolic Jasmine envelope the dry natural rooty Vetiver so totally and beautifully I feel like I am being pulled from three directions into one magical point. The touch of aldyhydic buzzing - like pollen on the hind legs of a honey bee vibrates ever so lightly below that point and adds a wonderful heartbeat to the fragrance. The notes are so exquisitely combined and their balance so finely tuned - I feel like Jean Carles had come back from beyond in order to verify the true equilibrium obtained himself! It has that old school uber balance and intimacy of material. This take on Vetiver is a Pure and Natural DELIGHT. WONDER-WONDER-WONDERFUL!!! My new Signature fragrance!

All but the most hardcore vetiver lovers need not apply. Route du Vétiver is a daring, feral vetiver: one where the earth's pungency and penetrating dark soil element is not gussied up with citruses and is laid bare from the beginning. There are dirty roots and nutty herbs, sharp blackcurrant buds, chokecherry, wildflower must and nettle. Then it dawns on me that this is now smelling as close to the raw vetiver roots as anything I've ever smelled in perfumery. These facets are the facets I encounter with these very roots. It may seem to sear some's senses but the right noses will be delighted with such coarseness. The addition of olibanum and patchouli in its base only adds to its ancient cellar bouquet. It also recalls the smell of the running brooks that I encounter when visiting the sanctuaries in my area: water pushing earth and loam, carrying twigs, fruiting bodies, and vegetation at varying levels of decay and fermentation. Jean Laporte proved to be an iconoclast with this brilliant work with his bold approach to vetiver, exalting it to a level theretofore unseen. It's marvelous in summer heat.

Forget about "cat" piss word...nahh its not so acid It is magnificent vetiver base fragrance.Woody,pungent,cold,inky,dirty and hell yeah sexy as well. I have no doubt it is different. Weird and enigmatic could be better words.So you think,is it a compliment or complain?I don't think it minds,I mean, we just know about a thing if we go trough. For me RDV is my beast, well tamed when using in appropriate dose, however first impression wasn't so pleasant I just figured out it was too much spray. People are looking for "beautiful" vetiver perfumes like Sycomore,Roja Dove,Sel de Vetiver,and they are completely right, the latter is amazing and very easy to become a wardrobe masterpiece, but how about go little bit inner and try something more signature, your signature? Roll the dice it is hit or miss,afterall if you hit means you have found your sexy beast otherwise just scrub your wrist off... PS: drydown,"after 3-4 hour" is way suitable,creamy sandalwood in a solid vetiver base is reliable for any occasion.

Starts bitter with vetiver roots that are dump and dark; I could also associate it with the smell of black soil and say that it could have oud in it, because of the dry earthy bitter smell. After about 20 minutes, the fruity and sweet blackcurrant lightens it a bit. Going forward, it becomes juicier and after about another hour, the perfume softens even more with a flowery façade which turns it from this raw beast(which I love) to a widely wearable fruity-flowery vetiver. It changes dramatically, but it remains gorgeous. Scent: 8.5/10 Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 5/10

Earthy, dry, bitter, sweet, dirty, wet, fresh, clean, dark, green, muddy, classy.......... Confused? Route du Vetiver has so many faces, yet it always maintains the beauty and richness of vetiver from beginning to end. In fact the vetiver is so dominant and hardcore that the other notes ask for permission before joining the adventure! This vetiver might not be the easiest vetiver to wear, but man does it exude confidence and charisma. A true gem in my collection and one that demands respect. Search vintage if you can, it is truly sublime.

Astringent, yet warm. Rooty and earthy, yet clean. Blackcurrant and jasmine form a fantastic counterpoint. There is nothing quite like Route Du Vetiver. When you feel like you’ve gone as far down the vetiver rabbit hole as you can and it’s starting to feel a bit tapped out, try this one and prepare to be impressed. One of my signature vetivers for a long time now and it’s unlikely to ever leave my collection. Wearing this, you can pretty much bet you won’t smell like anyone else in the room.

A stunning, truly original take on vetiver. Very well done, like most of MPG fragrances. The opening puzzles me, as it is like nothing else I’ve ever smelled. Moist, green, dirty (oudh?) yet tart (black currant leaf), it’s not easy to place. It settles into a sultry, dark, salty vetiver (supported by some laurel) that will smoulder on your skin for a long time. It is indeed similar to Sycomore, though I find Route de Vetiver more complex and more mysterious. A real gem.....

So far, this fragrance is my second favorite vetiver. At first spray it smells like wet grass but the dry down is magnificent. On me the vetiver comes out after one hour and I love it. It smells sweet, bitter, clean and fresh at the same time. Beautiful!

Absolutely brutal. A dank, rotting vetiver with a piercing, petrol quality; earthy, smokey and ashy. I kind of love it though. For the record I have the old red bottle with the cheap plastic toy lid.

As a vetiver lover I've been encouraged many times to try Route De Vetiver (Vintage) and when I finally decided to face it I discovered an extremely compelling fragrance. RDV's opening is possibly one of the best representation of vetiver available on the market. Earthy, extremely bitter, wet. I never smelled vetiver's roots myself but I have the feeling that if you'd extract them from the ground after a couple of rainy days, they would smell exactly like RDV's opening. The drydown is incredibly woody and earthy, bold but not overpowering yet extremely masculine. Surely among the most uncompromising iterations of the rooty vetiver accord. My little "disappointment" (not exactly the right word) comes with the refurmulated version that tends to be similar to other masterpieces of the same family such as Sycomore. Don't get me wrong, the current Route De Vetiver is still an outstanding scent, but if you're already familiar with Sycomore or with the vintage formula, it may result somehow disappointing. Rating: 9/10 (Vintage) 8/10 (Current)

50)This little brand is a institution (like Guerlain), they own the best Vetiver (with Vetiver Extraordinaire)they own the best sandalwood (without rival), they own one of the best Amber, they own the second best Iris (behind Iris Silver Mist) and much more... the opening is breathtaking and takes you into all the subtleties of vetiver up to a beautifully rich base. Jean-Paul Millet (with Jean-François Laporte) is in the Panthéon of the perfumery. A pilgrimage in this brand is an obligation for each perfumista. Cette marque est une institution au même titre que Guerlain (presque;) ils ont le meilleur vétiver (avec celui de F. Malle), ils ont le meilleur Santal (sans rival) le meilleur ambre et un des meilleurs iris qui soit... Jean-Paul Millet (avec le fondateur Jean-François Laporte) est dans le Panthéon de la parfumerie. Un pèlerinage chez eux est une obligation pour tous les perfumistas.

I have tried many vetiver fragrances, and I somehow expected to dislike this. I hate the bottle, which seems crass and in poor taste. .which I suppose is narrow minded of me......BUT...the contents are a class act, and it is real quality juice. This is a really good vetiver fragrance. Moderate projection and excellent longevity. It is vetiver, greeny and grassy and earthy/rooty, moderated all the way through for many hours by a subtle sweetness or fruitness....and it lasts and lasts......and it just works somehow. It's unisex, but those who do not like vetiver need not apply. So, try before you buy, but as a vetiver lover, this is a buy, despite the damned bottle..lol

I agree with most of the reviews on here. Purple and green, quite sheer and mysterious. The vetiver underneath is essential-oil strength and quality. What no one has said so far is that, if you are sensitive to sweetness in perfume, the cassis and jasmine top notes - which linger quite long - could seem very sweet to you indeed. Quite feminine, too, in my view, enhanced by the sandalwood, which is strong. Personally, I’ll call it ‘the grenadine syrup vetiver’ and leave it at a little sample. Utter respect for the creation, though, it is beautiful. The vetiver-sandalwood-cassis mix strangely resembles Tam Dao’s cedar-sandalwood-rose on my skin.

A raw, shady, dirty vetiver accompanied by ripened, pungent currant and a sour green note that reminds me of the stem of a cyclamen. After about an hour it softens and emerges the sandal and jasmine that expand an elegant, mature cloud, together with almost coriaceous sparkling notes. On my skin it is soaking, earthy, fruity-bitter as I throw water on hot coal. This have a strong masculine trail and a personality similar to Bois d'ascese. If you love that kind of atmosphere, you will surely like Route de Vetiver. A bit hard at first but nice and well done. Perfect on rainy days.

Vetiver, jasmines, & oriental touch... I don't know, i just sense Asia in here with tropical exotic woods! I get vetiver covered with hazy ylang, musky jasmines, creamy sandalwood, & greeny cedar. This is an interesting take of vetiver wrapped inside oriental floral and musky woods. Beautiful.

It has a salty feel (similar to Sel de Vetiver without the freshness), very woody, earthy, and somber.. don't smell much black currant

Vetiver opens sharply medicinal and softly warm with prickly spice deep in the background. Formal suede and papyrus makes it feel flat. Slowly opens to medium dimension. Wistful, like a scent on the wind. Doesn’t offer the punch or contrast of other vetivers. Mature, yet safe and weak. Feels like a half-handed attempt. Can’t help but think every other vetiver is more exciting. Deepens over time with some leather and diesel - yet, remains soft. 1ST TRY: Opens brusque and dry. Never experienced vetiver so bracingly raw, it almost hurts with lingering bite. Very mild projection. Stale grandma notes warm on skin. I stop criticizing it for being linear because the pure vetiver is nuanced mossy. Overall, it’s a little too slow, rough, and damply musty. Later on, the earthy dry grass provides intriguing nature notes. It’s different and a little curious, but doesn’t do enough. Dry down has more body and leather, but still pretty weak and linear compared to many other versions. Not worth your time unless you’re obsessed with vetiver.

I almost wonder if they filled my sample vial with the wrong fragrance, because I only smell one note in this, and it's not vetiver; it's myrrh, which isn't even listed in the notes here. I used to apply oil of myrrh to my fingertips (it's supposed to help calluses form, but I don't know if it did) to aid in playing the harp, and this just smells like that. It's fine - I like myrrh - but it doesn't smell like a perfume to me. Not something I'd wear again, as it's too simplistic. If I wanted to smell like this, I'd just use myrrh oil.