Mare Pacifico by Linari

*****
Year: 2014

Notes: lemon, Spanish cypress, Russian birch leaf, ozonic notes, seaweed, mate, Turkish rose, Indonesian patchouli, kephalis, Sri Lankan sandalwood, French moss
With Mark Buxton in the driver's seat, once again, Mare Pacifico is the second bona fide aquatic release, from Linari, after 2008's Vista sul Mare.

However, Mare Pacifico ventures down more of a woody-aromatic ozonic path, as opposed to Vista sul Mare's fruity-floral ozonic premise. As a result, Mare Pacifico isn't as fresh, with its ozonic chords being less strident. The inclusion of seaweed attempts to temper the synthetic aquatic aspect and, to a certain extent, it works but not completely.

With a clean rose heart, metallic and green nuances are detected throughout its development. But what's really interesting is the addition of kephalis – an aroma chemical that possesses woody, ambery and tobacco facets, which provides a further warmth to the woody drydown. Sadly, this isn't enough to prevent the composition from walking a thin line between fabric softener territory and the soapy fragrancy of a bubble bath product.

Although it succeeds in conveying a clean aura, for an expensive niche release, one expected a lot more. Still, if forced to choose, one would opt for Mare Pacifico over the more generic-smelling Vista sul Mare.

Sillage and longevity are both above average.


Share