When it comes to my morning hot beverage of choice, I am an equal opportunity imbiber. We have shelves filled with loose teas and bags of coffee beans. It generally isn’t until I am standing in front of the cabinet that I make my choice. I have found I have seasonal preferences. One is for the green teas as the transition from winter to spring happens. To stand on the porch while the poodles run with a cup steaming in my hand is my idea of a good morning.
Tea inspired perfumes are also a significant piece of the perfumery landscape. I haven’t noticed a seasonal inclination to my wanting to wear those. I do own quite a few of them. It is often because some of the best perfumers create some of their best work around a tea-centric concept. That continues with Maison Margiela Replica Matcha Meditation.
Maurice Roucel
I have found this Replica collection to be one of the best in mainstream fragrance. The reasons for it are top perfumers given a focused brief along with some room to realize it. In the case of Matcha Meditation perfumer Maurice Roucel is asked to interpret “Zen scents of matcha tea” which he does. It is a fabulous curveball thrown in over the later stages that turns this into something memorable.
It opens with a tea accord of green tea and matcha. The combination tamps down the bite of the matcha while still allowing it to provide more depth to the accord. It is joined by orange blossom and jasmine. For those familiar with jasmine green tea balls there is a similar scent to this part of Matcha Meditation. M. Roucel allows the floral to float on top of the tea accord. He also chooses to add in cedarwood given more oomph with oakmoss. It all flows in an homage to green tea. What happens next sneaks in on little cat’s feet. An unctuous cacao oozes in underneath. This is waxy chocolate as if a square were on the saucer next to your teacup. Despite the unexpectedness it fits in a gourmand way the entire construction prior to it.
Matcha Meditation has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
The addition of the chocolate to the end of this is what makes this so good. It adds a different type of grounding to the tea accord. It is so good to my nose I am going to reach into the chocolate drawer to have a chunk next to the next cup of green tea I brew. M. Roucel’s choice forms a gourmand tea of excellence.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample supplied by Maison Margiela.
–Mark Behnke
