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.

2015 has been a year marked with Gothic style Perfume. From my novice knowledge and little experience, what I understand is, Gothic styles are more rugged, gloomy and melancholy in nature. Look back to the year 1988, when Maitre introduced this one. Hardly would anyone think of any perfume with cold and sad feeling in it. Perfumes were more for Mass than for Himself/Herself. Taking a decision to produce this perfume at that time is something which keeps me surprised. It was way too ahead of the time in Perfume World. This review is for the Reformulated version. I haven't tried the Original one. Now this perfume is only for True Lovers of Vetivers. That's a Warning with Capital "W". N this review is from a guy, who hardly can tolerate Vetiver. So the result is Undoubtedly I "Disliked" it. But let me analyse the perfume. Think of the loudest Vetiver, you can imagine of. It's raw, damped, and at times smell like the soil itself. I am sure this is what Root of Vetiver should smell like. Vetiver gives me an impression of smell of wet Cement and it remains the same here too. After 15 minutes the Black Currant starts developing. The Black Currant is medicinal, with no sweetness, It just adds some powdery vibe to the Vetiver. Bitter and Sharp. In fact the whole composition has not a trace of sweetness in it. It is for the Bitter Perfume lovers. N that's it. Route du Vetiver remains in this state for the rest of it's lifecycle. Scrubber for me, but I do understand that it can be some ones, most cherished treasure. It delivers what it says. Sillage: Moderate. Longevity on my skin: Approx 6-7 Hours Longevity on fabric: Approx 8 Hours Occasion: I wont be able to wear it. It's soo strong, dump and medicinal. But for others, I think it can be a casual perfume. Rating: 5.5/10 P.S: No doubt this is the most Unpretentious and Wet Vetiver till date, I tried. A must, must , must for Vetiver Lovers

Totally authentic, rootsy, leafy, stalky, botanical natural vetiver ... it definitely does smell like a stroll along a sun-parched rocky path lined with tough aromatic hillside plants. If you are a vetiver fan, this is certainly one of the most straightforward and long-lasting and honest varieties around. It radiates quality natural ingredients. So in the abstract, I was impressed by how direct and strong a fragrance this is. Sadly, for me, vetiver is a no-no: there's just something about it which I can't take, a particular kind of rankness which really repels me when vetiver is dominant. But then I know people who utterly reject coriander leaf as soapy and vile-tasting, whereas I love it and crave it and miss it when it's not there in a dish I love. So it's not vetiver, it's me - and if you know you DO like the note, then do give this a go. MPG is quality stuff with very decent longevity - I admire this house even when they're building perfumes around notes I loathe.

Smell is so weird. I put this on and all I smell is leather initially, yet no one else seemed to report that as a note. The smell then evolves into leather with a hint of pepper. I am writing this as the day goes on to see how it transforms but all I got was leather in the first hour before it turned into more of a vetiver fragrance with the dry down. The vetiver is more earthy smelling, maybe a bit woody but I still get a leather vibe overall. There is nothing green about this fragrance to me if it was a color it'd be brown. It is soft to me, there is very little projection. Definitely highly masculine, the GF smelled this and went "eww" you'd have thought I put sex panther on based on her reaction. Now that a few hours have passed the leather smell is gone and all that remains is a earthy vetiver fragrance, it's a bit more green smelling now but I can't say I enjoy this smell and neither did the gf.

VETIVER - THE WHOLE KIT AND CABOODLE Put the entire vetiver, root, grass, and all, into a blender, pulse on high for a minute, and sniff. There ya go. It's very green. It's wet. It's palpable. It's not for me - I much prefer Creed's Original Vetiver. But for those who enjoy the smell of living vegetation - go for it.

I had to do a comparision with two contemporary vetiver frags, Ford's grey vetiver and CDG vettiveru in order to understand this RDV, because, honestly, I had lost my way with this cologne. I am a HUGE fan of vetivers, having in my collection a few. My initial impressions: There is a definite "signature" smell for MPG, and this became obvious in the comparision. In RDV you get a similar "leathery, lipstick" smell from what you get from something like Parfum D'Habit. I can't help but remember Aramis from my high school years. This is in no way a beast. It is a well behaved fragrance, but if your reference points begin with Aqua di Gio and beyond, then yes, maybe this is a bit heavy. This is no dry vetiver. Some people compare this to Encre Noire. No way... RDV is as moist and damp as you can get. I have never smell vetiver roots, but this may be pretty close... RDV flourishes in the drydown. You will not easily identify the vetiver if your reference points are Guerlain and Ford, BUT.... this is absolutely marvelous. Laporte was able to soften, magnify, I mean... I have no freaking words to express how amazing and different this smells. It is a scent from another world, a vetiver that has been blended with flowers, some distant leather, who the hell knows. If all the vetivers in the market are bright and sunny, this is dark, and mean serious business. If Grey Vetiver is like a navy blazer, Route de Vetiver is like a tux. A true masterpiece for vetiver lovers. Vetiver done in a very different, unique way. Smell great my friends.

Journey to find and to harvest Vetiver is a dark, wet and earthy scent as it was his native place, the subtropical plains of Ancient India... So dark and so wet that something musty fills your nose. The route to this moldy root is a long journey. Among the top notes there are something alcoholic and medicinal. Through the lane there is a oily wood that one can swear it is oud, even not the natural one. There is also a kind of fresh tomatoes with olive oil background. The owner of the brand keep saying that the formula never changed, that the changes were just on the logo and the bottle, now without stripes and with 100ml in the place of the old dark red 90ml bottle. But I do think that if the fragrance keeps the same proportions of the ingredients, their suppliers are surely not the same and the dilution is way bigger. Or maybe the difference I feel is because my 90ml bottle is from a very old batch and maybe this perfume is like wine, the older, the better. Lets wait the 100ml bottles get older to say something more accurate. Anyway, in any bottle, It is a WONDERFUL AND REMARKABLE SCENT. 10/10 IMaitre ́s Vetiver is way less aldehydic than Sycomore. Given Its strong peculiarity, it is dificult to make a fair comparison with other pieces of art like Terre and its balmy earthy aura, Malle and its dirty earthness, Mona and its powdery ginger, Sel du Vetiver and its softness or with the good old Guerlain.

Route du Vetiver is together with Sycomore, Vetiver Extraordinaire and Etro Vetiver one of the best vetiver fragrances I have tried so far. I can only imagine how fabulous must have been the original version as people say it was darker and stronger. But dont be fooled buy appearances. It ́s still a very bold and extreme scent. In the opening I get a very sharp, dark and green smell of vetiver. It ́s also wet and dirty like if you just pulled it out of wet dirt. I also get the smell of black current enhancing the dark aspect of the fragrance with its bitter and dry (not sweet) fruitiness. After that it becamos softer, and the dark rooty vetiver dominates the fragrance. In this fase I notice that the fragrance gets closer to the skin but I can smell it from time to time on me, I think it creates a clowd. The nicest thing about it to me is that even though Route du Vetiver has a strong and dark vetiver note the whole composition is very trasparent and even a bit fresh. I love to wear this in a summer night wearing a white linen shirt. I feel very powerful, masculine and confident.

Putting this on is like undergoing a Daphne-like metamorphosis from carnal to vegetal. The vetiver itself is a shapeshifter opening with an intensely green celeriac note and transitioning through kaleidoscopic stages evocative of hemp, burning plastic, humid earth, and iodine. Oddly, for a scent with such a fierce reputation, it stays relatively close to the skin, giving off subtle wafts of what to me smells vaguely like raw burlap. Anyone familiar with Encre Noire will find RdV to be both more intense and considerably drier. I do not notice any notes other than vetiver in RdV. No blackberries or jasmine, but it could very well be that they've been masterfully blended in with the intention of extending facets of the vetiver scent without calling attention to themselves. I think this has the potential to be both a bohemian scent and an austerely formal one.

The oddly in congruent top notes ultimately relegate this fragrance to the Vetiver trash bin. MPG tripped itself up by trying to be too unconventional and risque with their treatment of Vetiver. Even as this design format veers sharply off course , there appears to be no respite offered from the star player i.e. Vetiver. Only a very mild and meek showing in the drydown and barely perceptible at that. On my current Vetiver splurge of maybe a dozen interpretations, the MPG Route du Vetiver takes last spot on the list. Most notable Vetivers being Mon Vetiver from Essential, Villoresi Vetiver, Elie Saab Vetiver, Roja Dove Vetiver and Mona Di Orio Vetyver.

This stands to me right next to Sycomore (EdT) and Vetiver Extraordinaire, simply being one of the best vetiver's around ever - no other house managed better to capture, moisture, swampiness and this vegetal after the rain feeling than some of Maitre's original releases. The fact that this came out in 1988 makes it together with Annick Goutals original Vetiver Eau de Toilette, even a more interesting precursor to all recent Vetivers. The moisture note is most strong in the first 90 ml version, the red bottle with 100 ml is still very good, but already a bit tamer, for the latest 120 ml version, I had not yet had the chance to do a 1:1 comparison

The problem with reading reviews of RDV is that half the time you don't know if folk are refering to the original (earthy clay and roots) or the more genteel reformulation. I have never smelled the original (more's the pity) but I have the reformulation and was surprised with how well behaved and easy to wear it is. To my nose this is basically a green vetiver (not the nutty kind found in Vetiver Extraordinaire or Grey Vetiver) balanced pretty much 50/50 with a natural blackcurrant absolute. The blackcurrant reminds me a bit of YSL Opium Pour Homme. This is my favourite vetiver along with Guerlain Vetiver and Timbuktu.

Closest thing to dried vetiver roots I’ve ever smelled in a perfume. Captures the dusty, arid quality of dried soil on roots. Vetiver, along with sandlewood, frankincense and a handful of other non-floral botanicals, can stand on its own not only as a scent but as a fragrance. RdV takes this path and goes straight to the root. It remains undistracted and doesn’t try to highlight any particular facet (eg. licorice) or complement (lemon), just the whole root-cellar vibe. Feels a bit searing in a nice, powerfully dry way as it goes on, but then calms down on a fairly linear course to a low-sillage, intimate scent.

Vetiver as a material is prone to smelling differently depending on how it is presented. Unfortunately I can't say I enjoy this one, a vetiver rendered as unembellished and naturally as possible, replete with all the onion and urine off-notes. Route du Vetiver is proof that some things shouldn't be taken so literally. A hard pass for me.

earthy smoky vetiver without smelling too sweet grass or figgy, wood & turpentine, sandalwood very noticeable on the dry down one of the best vetiver scents i've smelled but sillage is too soft on me - it didn't even radiate in arms length

To my nose this smells like Carven's Le Vetiver but that actually smells better than Route du Vetiver since it has an added boozy note. I don't like this at all. It's too earthy and not in the good way. 2/5

I'll keep this short and sweet. Now this is how you do a perfect, beautiful, enveloping vetiver. If you're a fan of vetiver, do it right now!

This turned violent on me. Smells like cat urine due to black currant note