Neroli

Neroli is the material I would keep if I could keep only one. It is the blossom of the bitter orange tree, distilled, and it smells the way spring light looks on white walls. It is the reason one of our chapters carries its name.

What neroli is

Neroli is the steam distilled oil of the flowers of Citrus aurantium var. amara, the bitter orange. The same tree gives petitgrain from its leaves and orange flower absolute from its blossoms by a different method. The flowers are hand picked in April and May, in the early morning, and distilled the same day. It takes roughly a tonne of blossoms to yield a single kilogram of oil, which is why neroli has always been counted among the precious florals. The fragrant water left after distillation is orange flower water.

Where our neroli comes from

Our neroli comes from Tunisia, the largest producer of neroli in the world. The bitter orange groves of the Cap Bon peninsula, around Nabeul, sit between the Mediterranean and the dry interior, and the blossoms that open there carry a fresher, greener profile than neroli from more humid places. The Tunisian oil is bright, almost citric at the top, with the honeyed indole of the flower kept in check. It is neroli in its cleanest form, which is exactly what I want when I set it beside citrus or above oud.

How neroli smells

Intense white floral, fresh and sweet, with a green, jam like back note and a trace of indole. It is more radiant than jasmine and less creamy than tuberose, and it has a cool bitterness that keeps it from ever feeling heavy.

Neroli in our chapters

• IHayalThe Crown · in the heart

  In Hayal it stands at the centre of the heart, the white blossom in the crown of the tree, with clary sage and geranium around it.

• IIINéroli de NuitThe Blossom · in the heart

  In Néroli de Nuit it is the subject of the whole chapter, the blossom at night, surrounded by orange flower absolute, petitgrain and rose.

• VIISultanat OudThe Deep Roots · in the heart

  In Sultanat Oud a second neroli, recorded without a country in our books, lightens the heart so that the oud and sandalwood beneath feel deeper by contrast.

A note from the atelier

I distinguish neroli from orange flower absolute the way I would distinguish morning from evening. Neroli is the flower in daylight. In Néroli de Nuit I wanted both, the daylight and the dusk, from the same tree.

Questions about neroli