January 21, 2015: Ermenegildo Zegna Parfums has introduced Peruvian Ambrette fragrance to its exclusive Essenze Collection.
The signature raw material, ambrette, comes from a very small yield of tiny seeds and a multi-step process, making it one of perfumery’s most expensive and rarest ingredients. Derived from the San Martín region of Peru’s Amazonian rainforest, the seed produces a fragrant essential oil, a sweet rich musk with nutty undertones, which is considered the only natural non-animal musk ingredient in the fragrance industry.
With the peak harvest season being January to April, farmers handpick the seeds before they are in full bloom. Farmers then perform the gentle process of separating the ambrette seed shell from the seed itself, as the essential oil is mainly localized within the shell. The shells are then crushed through a flattered machine that guarantees superior distillation.
After distillation, a small and coveted amount of oil, which has the thickness of concrete, is obtained. It then goes through an additional process of extraction to eliminate the fatty acids. The result is ambrette absolute, the most pure and premium quality of the ambrette seed.
To achieve the highest quality composition, world-renowned perfumers intensified the muskiness of the ambrette seed with a new richness and long-lasting strength by combining the absolute with complimentary ingredients to lend a cleaner and lighter characteristic exclusive to the masterfully composed Peruvian Ambrette fragrance. It is also distinctively paired with exclusively grown Zegna bergamot from Calabria, Italy.
Peruvian Ambrette opens with the citrus sparkle of mandarin oil and Zegna bergamot. This skillfully contrasts with black pepper for a top mark of distinction. At its heart, elegant orris meets with the sweet and deep ambrette to create a luxurious texture. The drydown is an enveloping relationship between an exotic suede accord and a selection of sophisticated musks, which is enhanced by the masculine warmth of guaiae wood.
Price: INR 21,000 (approx. $341) for 125 ml
Available at: It will retail exclusively at Ermenegildo Zegna boutiques and Sephora from February 2015
