MONCLER
Les Roches Noires – Une heur de bois ambres

2023

PERFUMER
Nathalie Lorson

lemon
geranium
tonka bean
labdanum
black pepper
patchouli

Les Roches Noires was quite a nice surprise. Or maybe not a surprise, as Nathalie Lorson doesn’t miss often. However, most of the Moncler that I’ve tried felt a bit too bland and safe, but Les Roches Noires doesn’t wear like your average designer and has quite a nice seriousness to it.

Spicy, pepper and patchouli are prominent, but in a very sweet, ambery way in the opening. An almost syrupy amber covers the punchy, sharper spiciness for a sweet and mature combination. Leaning traditionally masculine, with some charred woods in the back. The charred smoke could even make the first minutes a tad daring for some.

Underneath it all, the patchouli comes alive the most on my skin first and pepper later. What it reminds me of with the spices is a cola or a rum & coke. However later in the wear, it becomes a fully spicy scent with some woods. At this later stage some suede leather comes through as well.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, especially the opening hour(s).