The centifolia rose, grown in Grasse
For thousands of years rose has fascinated. From time immemorial, artists have seen it as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, an emblem of absolute love, to the point of elevating it to the coveted rank of Queen of Flowers. Rose growers have succeeded in taming it and endowing it with countless shapes, colors and fragrances, much to our delight.
A little background
The rose was one of the first scents to be used in perfumery. The Romans were already extracting the essential oil and consuming roses at an incredible rate, not least for their perfume. Its petals were used to fill cushions and perfume baths... Its intoxicating, sensual essence was a welcome addition to amorous preparations. It is even said that Cleopatra and Mark Antony spent their first night of love on a 45 cm thick bed of rose petals...
In perfumery
Perfumers mainly use Damask rose (Rosa damascena) and, to a lesser extent, rose cent-feuilles (Rosa centifolia L.), also known as "rose de mai". The olfactory qualities of the Grasse centifolia are such that they are found in the great names of perfumery: its lemony facet evokes the sun, while its spicy, honeyed aspects bring richness and sensuality. Of course, Rose de Mai Pays absolute is used as a base note to give an unrivalled volume to the composition, reminding us of Chanel N° 5, Joy de Patou... emblematic fragrances born in the Grasse region.
The Centifolia rose accounts for no more than 10% of rose production for perfumery, compared with the much more common Damascena rose. The latter is grown mainly in Morocco, Turkey, Iran and Bulgaria.
The Centifolia rose grows in bush form. It's a hardy plant with deep roots. Quite greedy for water and fertilizer, roses can nevertheless live for decades if they avoid disease and pests.
And the harvest
Pruning takes place in February, and is necessary to keep the plant vigorous.
Harvesting takes place over several weeks in May. It is done by hand to avoid damaging the flowers.
The flower fears the heat, so it is harvested in the morning during the flowering weeks to preserve its freshness and essence.
Freshly extracted, Centifolia Rose absolute is the result of meticulous work throughout the entire process: from working the earth to obtain this fragile raw material, to our know-how in extracting the very best.
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