Vie de Chateau

Parfums de Nicolai Vie de Chateau succeeds brilliantly in evoking the freshly cut meadow at my little chateau on the Loire. The top is fresh cut grass and sweet hay, followed gradually by slightly deeper scents but still evoking a meadow and the nearby woods. The fruity note at the top that others mention smells to me like sweet hay. To my nose there is only a subtle leather, which is good because I don't think strong leather would work well with the other notes. I have been disappointed by a few PdN perfumes, but this is another masterpiece - bravo Patricia! I have read that, in preparation for releasing an "exclusive" line (to my dismay), Parfums de Nicolai is renaming a number of their perfumes by adding "Intense" to the end, and that is what I have - I think it is the same as without the Intense. Also mine is the not the "Eau Fraiche" that Fragrantica confusingly gives as the picture.

This is sort of embarrassing, but Vie de Chateau is like an aphrodisiac for me. It reminds me of sexy times on a summer day in an open field out in the country: crushed grass (vetiver), clean sweat (grapefruit) and pheromones (musk, leather). I walk around smiling like an idiot whenever I wear it, it's so beautifully upbeat and sexy in a healthy, sunny way. If VdC were a woman, it would be someone like Reese Witherspoon or Carrie Underwood. Bonus: for a niche frag, the price isn't too painful.

I really love this creation. Definitely my favorite from Parfums de Nicolai. It opens with the smell of fresh cut grass, a dash of grapefruit and a hint of leather. Later it mostly smells like hay with a little of vetyver and moss. Vie de Chateau is modern and classic at the same time, though easy to wear. Definitely unisex. It's a perfect choice for women who like interesting, non-sweet, masculine smelling fragrances.

this is an extrapolation of the original diorella vibe - chypre with just slightly skanky fruit with a big caveat - a dry hay note that sticks around forever. wow! classic yet very relaxed construction and an all-year standby. great 9/10

This Intense version was masterpiece chypre. So sad it is discontinued. Nothing like that exsist.