Vinegia 21

I can only describe this fragrance in one word: PERFECTION There are TWO Vinegia fragrances, Vinegia and Vinegia 21. The two fragrances have very few similarities and should not be confused. I found Vinegia to be over-bearing and a rather pedestrian masculine take on wood, cedar, agar wood, castoreum and firs (forest) & greens. As others have stated, Vinegia 21 is the polar opposite version of Vinegia. While Vinegia is all I stated above with zero detectable incense, or smokey notes, Vinegia 21 gloriously opens with saffron, cinnamon, vanilla and praline. However within minutes, the sweeter notes take a backseat to the smoothest and loveliest "smokey incense" notes of sandalwood, myrrh, agarwood (oud), patchouli, etc. And this is where the magic lies. Morphing into a fragrance with slightly sweet, earthy and smoky notes (just enough sweet to take the edges off the masculine notes), Vinegia 21 is masterfully blended. There is not one single note that is cloying, overbearing, harsh, or offensive. All the notes & levels from opening, to mid, to base are smooth. Notes seamlessly and effortlessly rise and fall in perfect harmony with each other. The end sum of the notes is a lovely & unique fragrance. The praline and vanilla in Vinegia 21 are not overly gourmand. The woods and resins are never dirty, vulgar, or off-putting. The smokey-ashy notes are not of the acrid, campfire, or dirty ashtray type. Every note is simply divine. I imagine based on one's chemistry, various notes might play louder than others. However on my skin, Vinegia 21 repeats as a delightful incense, patchouli, smoky and slightly sweet fragrance. Just lovely. And while Vinegia 21 markets as unisex, I find this fragrance leans slightly feminine. Longevity is great at 8+ hours and silage is moderate. After sampling this fragrance on a few occasions, I bought my full bottle. The bottle of course is beautiful; however it's what's inside the bottle that truly delights. Not inexpensive @ approximately $265 USD/100 ml, I will be wearing Vinegia 21 for quite some time to come.

Tested this during a recent holiday in a shop in Rome and it’s unbelievable good. Opulent and sophisticated! The composition is a harmonious balance of sweetness, fruitiness, and depth. It’s a rich, thick patchouli, oud, saffron, cinnamon, vanilla and praline bomb of a scent. Luxurious as it can get. Delicious and deep, sweet and ambery! A bit incency as well! Right for wearing it during the fall season! Unique and unisex, slightly feminine I would say. Very different than what is currently mainstream in perfumery! I don’t own it yet but from about 10 fragrances that I’ve tried that trip repeatedly, this one is the most memorable and the most intense. It’s still smelling on the paper strip a week later. I have not sampled all Merchant of Venice offerings but from what I have sampled so far, hands down this is it the one for me. Not my favourite bottle from their spectacular collection of bottles, but the best juice. Fantastic longevity and projection! Pricey but worth it! My boyfriend likes it as well which is rare for him to like something on the spot. He’s really fussy about fragrances. Can’t wait to add this beautiful creation to my collection!

Totally addicting, alluring and edible without steering into full-on gourmand. Sweet, but not cloying in any way. Vinegia 21 is a delicious blend of creamy, spicy, woody notes layered together in a perfectly balanced, refined and exquisite way. The smoky incense and dry woods create a counterbalance to the sticky, balsamic resins and vanilla preventing it from being sickly and instead adding powerful depth. A chocolatey patchouli and oud become the stars of the show as Vinegia 21 makes its way through a long, embracing dry down where it continues to project beautifully for hours. The main thing which fascinates me about Vinegia 21 is the metallic, concrete nuances which truly resemble the essence of an old historical Italian building. I think what I’m smelling is a high quality oud/incense combo. The incense may err on the side of ‘churchy’ for some but I think this works perfectly for what Vinegia 21 represents. This is a solid unisex juice in a stunning bottle and display box, and the story behind its creation makes it that much more special. Lasts 12hrs on skin and a week on clothes- seriously.

Delicious without being gourmand, warm and complex. Vinegia 21 opens with blast of almost citrusy cinnamon and saffron. It then settles into a smooth blend of cinnamon and woody notes, sweet vanilla with a hint of oud. Even with all the sweet and spicy fragrances out there, Vinegia 21 stands out. There's nothing rough or abrasive here. The balance between the vanilla and sweeter notes and the more traditionally masculine woody and spicy notes makes it perfectly unisex. Like all the fragrances in this collection, it has outstanding longevity and good sillage. It does remind me of Xerjoff's Casamorati Bouquet Ideale. Vinegia 21 has less cloves, more cinnamon and is a smoother overall blend. I would recommand Vinegia 21 over Bouquet Ideale.

Very easy to wear, airy, versatile woody-slightly smokey-vanilla scent! Not ground breaking as I have somewhat similar fragrances in my collection but very well blended and the projection is steady throughout the entire longevity (7-8 hours on me solid). To y nose, it reminds me most of a higher end Dark Vanilla by Montale (Montale is an entry level niche house and can be scritchy and bombastic). This one is an aristocrat version of the peasant that's Montale. Love the bottle and for the price (I paid $150) this is the best there is in the genre!!!