Christmas Wine

I have not sampled Fille En Aiguilles or Sacre Noir, which both sound like they'd go in a similar direction, so I have little to compare this to. *Edit* - After finally sampling FeA, I can confirm this isn't even in the same ballpark. They are about 2% similar, in the fact that they're both perfume, and both in tall, thin bottles. That's about it. Nick seems to have a real talent when it comes to capturing specific memories and imagery in scent. Christmas Wine is no different. It opens up with a blend of balsam fir and cranberry, so smooth, it's like they form a single accord. The balsam fir is hyper realistic, and very much like Christmas tree sap - an element found in several other Pineward offerings. The cranberry is organic, sweet, slightly tart, and lends that holiday feast festive vibe. While not found in the notes, I detect a dense red apple note, which is remarkably similar to Apple Tabac, by the same house. That overripe, almost decaying apple-on-the-ground note, and it furthers the autumnal/winter feeling of this. I don't detect clove too much in the beginning, but I think nutmeg may be lending some warm spiciness, helping to weigh down the fruitiness and sappy fir. As it sits, the clove pokes through, but it's very subtle, and doesn't announce itself as a note, but rather contributes to the overall composition. From afar, you wouldn't pick the clove out. Some reviews have mentioned "Indian food". While there is no curry, cumin, or masala spice here, I can detect something vaguely savoury - perhaps the spices, they may spark that association for some. I eat a ton of Indian, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisine, and I don't smell it here. The resinous fir sap note does slowly fade over time - never disappearing, but eventually playing second fiddle to the cranberry and stewed fruit notes, while that cider-like apple remains ever-constant, securing the festive feeling as the conifer takes a back seat. Projection seems to be greater than some other Pineward offerings, and like Apple Tabac, is fairly volatile and diffuse, while longevity remains exceptional - again, like most Pineward. If you're looking for autumn-in-a-bottle or Christmas-in-a-bottle, there are several Pineward fragrances that will fit the bill, but Christmas Wine is among the very best of the category. Not versatile at all, but what it does, it does better than almost anything else you can find. This one's a stunner. Note: Christmas Wine isn't quite as sticky and oily as some of the blacker offerings, so it wears particularly nice, however, the deep cranberry red juice will certainly stain clothing, so apply smartly.

Pineward Perfumes Christmas Wine is, I believe, a seasonal offering from this 2020-launched house out of western US whose inspirations mainly include the outdoors and particularly pine trees. Christmas Wine is yet another example of a great mix of woody, spicy, sweet, and resinous elements, with a note listing of cranberry, plum, blood orange, cloves, nutmeg, fir balsam. So it’s plenty fruity, a quite sweet, a bit tart, with significant woody underpinning, dense and dark enough that, like most of the house’s offerings, it’s clearly better for colder weather and in line with the current winter season in the northern hemisphere. The juice is dark and strong, as, with other releases from the house, Christmas Wine is compounded at a extrait concentration, 30%+, reminiscent of Slumberhouse releases, and similarly, I would liken this scent in particular (as I did with another) to the stewed fruit aspect of Slumberhouse Baque and Mond, albeit somewhat better than Baque but in a comparable style to both scents. The pricing is fairly consistent with the rest of the line, as well, with a newer, larger size having been made available, seemingly for all scents in the catalogue: $220/128/80 for 57/37/17ml. I continue to by impressed by Pineward’s offerings, loving the vast majority of the fragrances I’ve sampled, and I still have some more to go. 8 out of 10

Christmas Wine by Pineward Perfumes takes a slightly different direction that Fille en Aiguilles or Sacre Noir, both coniferous fragrances with a holiday fruits and spices theme. Where Serge Lutens FEA and House of Matriarchs SN both go in a slightly sweet direction, Christmas Wine keeps things more true to the actual notes of the conifer resin, fruits, and spices. It smells fresh yet liquored and very festive. This perfume is another one that has nuclear strength and it is best to go light on the sprays if you don't want to project like a thousand watt candle. :-) You will smell good doing it though. Another brilliant conifer fragrance with a holiday theme that I'm so glad to have in my collection!

The name is very fitting for this one. It smells exactly like a festive mulled wine. This opens with boozy cranberries and stewed plums. They’re warm, fruity, and sweet. The blood oranges add a freshness that cuts through all the sweetness and add some citrus to the otherwise dark fruity blend. The blend of cloves and nutmeg add a soft spiced warmth here. And you do get some green accords coming through from the fir balsam.The dry down of this is much more plum forward and less cranberry. It smells like a spiced plum wine, very boozy, very rich but with brightness from the orange. Love this one

The headiness of red wine mixed with Christmas fruitcake. It smells exactly like I expected based on the notes and the description. Nilsson shows off some real fine blending skills here! As it develops on skin, the fir balsam comes forward and the liquor top notes subside. I love the fruity/conifer drydown as it mixes beautifully with the lingering holiday spices. Intoxicating, truly intoxicating scent. We’ll done- this new house is worth a look!