for my first batch of advent scent-lendar 2020 gifts to myself, i decided to revisit samples of the five general collection scents from Vintner's Reserve, an indie perfumery based in Kentucky, USA.
one thing that makes this house stand out among other indie perfumeries is its vision of creating a story through scent and a focus on the fruit of the vine; they specialise in scents based on popular wines and cocktails, and even have mini collections devoted to fictional tipples like those served in the Three Broomsticks from the Harry Potter universe.
i thought it would be very interesting to re-gift these samples to myself for advent, as i had first encountered their scents when i was starting out on my indie perfume journey over a year ago, and at that time i was still a complete newbie when it came to appreciating the nuances of alcohol. this was a lovely opportunity to rediscover these perfumes and see how my preferences have evolved over time.
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in general, the performance of all five scents was pretty consistent with my first experience - they had a medium longevity of about three to four hours' wear on skin and close to double that when worn in my hair. the throw was very good on application, being detectable from an arm's length, but dropped off relatively sharply within the first fifteen minutes and was barely detectable close to the end of its wear.
to kickstart my advent scent-lendar, i began with a sample of Sangria (A bouquet of fruity aromas, containing notes of red wine, citrus, mixed berries, and stone fruits). this was a lovely nostalgic trip down memory lane, back to the time when overseas holidays were still possible and i had the pleasure of sipping sangria during my first visit to Spain in summer. in the bottle, the fruits and berries form a well-blended harmony where the whole is more than the sum of their parts; on application they make a grand entrance with the wine note being more reticent to emerge, and after some time on my skin the wine note rises to create a full-bodied fruity aroma. i do like how this works on my skin, because in my hair the scent still spends more time being a fruit platter (with a splash of wine) and doesn't quite reach the same balance here. a bit too fruity (and boozy) for work, though this would make a great casual scent for those days that just need an injection of fun in them. 7.5/10.
the next day, i enjoyed Blackberry Wine (Our Blackberry Wine is made from all blackberries, featuring some boozy tannins to round out the fragrance experience) which is a lovely light and sweet scent. in the bottle and on application, the blackberries are the star of the show, sweet and ripe and juicy. after about half an hour, the scent develops more and the wine note comes into play. with more experience from whisky nosing, the tannins are quite the highlight here, providing a nice contrasting base to the sweetness of the blackberries. similar to my experience with Sangria, the wine notes tend to remain more subtle when this is worn in my hair, leading me to believe that somehow my skin really plays well with alcohol notes. it's a lovely perfume for a casual friday at work, or for just taking a stroll through the park in the cool of the evening. 8/10.
with november crossing into december, it was time for a toast of Chardonnay (Features notes of citrus, pear, apple, and white florals with a smooth, buttery oak finish) to celebrate. this one reminds me of a glass of real chardonnay, somewhere in between floral and fruity yet with a distinct character of its own. in the bottle, the dominant notes are of the white florals with a prominent pear and citrus; a year ago i struggled to find the apple note but with some ageing of the scent and for me, more experience with bottles, the apple is present but subtle, blending well with the oak base. after about half an hour of wear, the perfume mellows from "flowers and fruit with a hint of alcohol" to a light sweet wine with some floral and fruit notes, not unlike an actual glass of chardonnay. as with the other two scents, wearing this in my hair stifles the development of the wine notes and it remains predominantly a floral and fruity perfume throughout. 7.5/10.
i was really happy on the fourth day of advent to open Moscato (Features notes of citrus, peach, apricot, apple, pomegranate, vanilla and white florals finished with a hint of smoky musk) which is my favourite of the general collection. granted, i did know it was coming, but the gift wrapping still made it an even more adorable surprise, especially since this little bottle had only recently resurfaced after a long disappearnce into the depths of my purse. Moscato goes one step further than Chardonnay in its take on the white florals and fruits - it's sweeter and the blend is more harmonious compared to Chardonnay's solo white floral singer with some fruit backup. i also like the addition of the peach and apricot in this one - the stone fruits imbue the scent with more character. wearing this feels like sipping a cold glass of moscato out on the porch under the stars after having a good dinner. hands down, my favourite of the whole set - i really love how Vintner's Reserve accurately evokes the essence of a great moscato and the experience drinking it. 9/10.
last but not least, my scent for today to round off this set, Cabernet Sauvignon (Features notes of blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, and black pepper, tied together with a vanilla-laden and buttery oak finish). unlike the other four, the wine notes leap out even on the first sniffs from the bottle; the blackberry, currant and cherry also play strong roles (and to some extent, are competing with each other to define the scent). on my skin, the alcohol comes out more, and the smokiness from the tobacco combines with the mild spiciness of the pepper to give this some kick. this is the strongest alcohol scent of the set, a wearable wine (as opposed to wine being in itself a drinkable perfume). 7/10.
i love how these perfumes are so true to their inspirations yet rise beyond to create a wearable experience that is more than just smelling like one had been drinking (or worse, spilled some alcohol on oneself). from my experience, these scents can also be worn somewhat flexibly for different occasions - on the skin to bring out more of the alcohol nuances, or in the hair to keep it from morphing too much and retaining more of the supporting fruity / floral notes.
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this review is of perfumes that i had purchased at regular price with my own money. i wasn’t asked to review these as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with Vintner's Reserve and as always, all opinions remain my own.
the Vintner's Reserve general collection scents are available on their website here. prices are US$3.50 for a 1ml sample and US$14.00 for a 10ml bottle, or a slightly discounted rate of US$15.75 for a sample set of five (before shipping).
all information correct at time of publishing.
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