Jasmin de Grasse smells sweet, fruity and honeyed, with an indolic apricot heart and a soft warm animalic undertone. It is one of the most storied flowers in French perfumery.
The species is Jasminum grandiflorum, also called Spanish or Catalonian jasmine, cultivated on the hills around Grasse in southern Provence since the seventeenth century. Flowers bloom from July to October and are hand-picked before sunrise, when the fragrance is strongest. Around seven million flowers yield one kilogram of absolute. Grasse jasmine is richer, more indolic and more fruit-forward than Indian or Egyptian jasmine, with a distinctive apricot facet. Chanel and Dior have secured their own Grasse fields to protect supply.
Jasmin de Grasse is a heart note. Perfumers use it as the central jasmine in classical French florals (Chanel N°5, Joy, Samsara), to add honeyed warmth to white floral compositions, and to round out rose and tuberose accords. It pairs beautifully with rose, ylang ylang, sandalwood, amber and musk.
Jasmin de Grasse performs year-round, reading warmest in evening wear.
