Sublime

they had a formidable professor, Lucien Ferrero, who must have one of the most experienced and knowledgeable noses in France, and who has personally created more than two thousand perfumes. He had come from Grasse to take the class through its paces, to train young noses in good habits, and, with a little luck, to discover talent that could be deve

The arrival of the first consignments of fresh bergamot made headline news in Cologne, and women brought small children to the distillery, lifting them up to its high windows so that they could inhale the intense, health-giving scent of the fruit.

“People have no idea,” he said. “They think the price is high because of the expensive packaging, and of course that has something to do with it. But think of the ingredients we use.” I did, and I’m ashamed to say that pipi de chat came to mind rather than attar of roses. “Essence of iris, for example, is now a hundred and ten thousand francs a kil