The wine merchants Ginestet launched Le Boisé, a men's fragrance meant to evoke the oak barrels used to age Bordeaux wines, in 2003. The notes are woods, spices, and vanilla.
Le Boisé starts with very strong, very spicy cedar and a faint suggestion of red wine. If you hate cedar (and many people seem to), the opening blast just might not agree with you. As it settles, the cedar calms (somewhat) and is joined by other wood notes, primarily oak and sandalwood, and it takes on a dry, smoky edge (perhaps a touch of frankincense?) that always reminds me of a fall bonfire. The spices are smooth and indistinct, and there is a subdued vanilla undertone that adds warmth but little or no sweetness.
It is somewhat dark in tone, but not at all heavy, and I don't find it particularly masculine, or at least, no more so than any other bonfire sort of fragrance. There is only the vaguest hint of anything wine-like once the top notes are gone — if you are looking for a boozy perfume, you might be happier with Ginestet's Sauvignonne or Botrytis, although they are much sweeter fragrances than Le Boisé. I much prefer Le Boisé; along with Diptyque's Essence of John Galliano, it is one of my favorite dry wood fragrances for fall.
Ginestet Le Boisé is an Eau de Toilette, and the lasting power is average. For buying information, see the listing for Ginestet under Perfume Houses.
I don't find this masculine either, not at all…of course I love cedar, and it is quite lovely here. I think this is the best of the 3 Ginestet scents by far. I find the bottle a little to novelity and gimmicky, but what can you do…I still want a bottle of this!
M, Agree that it is the best, although guessing that Botrytis is actually a bigger seller (?)
Botrytis is such an ungainly name, like a combination of botulism and detritus. Leave it to me to come up with the oddball thought, eh?
I like woods, but there is something about Le Boise that did not agree with me. I need to revisit it to figure out what that was.
You are right, L, it sounds like a disease. Which of course, is exactly what it is.
R, your description sounds wonderful, I think I really could like it!
I´ll have to test it as soon as possible, it seems perfect for winter. Moreover I´m searching for a woody scent, smokyness is welcome, too
I like Botrytis, it´s the sweetest perfume I own, but it´s lovely.
V, Too much cedar, maybe? Many people find it hamster-cage-ish, although it doesn't strike me that way at all.
S, it is not as warm & comforting as Botrytis — I need to retry that one. First time, thought it was too sweet for me.
Oh thank you – I have been curious about this one lately, and have been mulling over whether or not to buy a decant or not… Thank you R!
Thank you dear R for the review. I don't think I have tried these (but you know my memory prob).
Have not seen them here – maybe I will try and get hold of a sample soon.
Have a super weekend.
I have this, it's one of my favorite cedar scents. I think the bottle is just adorable, and the wooden box it comes in too! Botrytis was way too sweet for me, Sauvignonne was nice but fleeting. Le Boise is not at all too masculine, I see it as totally unisex.
It is certainly worth a try, K, and if you hate it, now you know who to swap it to
N, the line is so obscure that I worry about whether it is even still in production. If you have not run across in anywhere in Paris, it is obviously no better known in France!
T, agree that it qualifies as unisex. Tell me, is that a spray bottle? Can't tell from the picture!
I have a sample of this and really like it a lot. Too me, it is very dry and woody. I only wish it lasted a bit longer. This is definitely worth a try…especially on a guy.
I read your blog all the time and finally signed up. I love your information, your tone, and your gang of commenters/friends. This review, of winey scent reminded to ask if you'd ever tried the cognac-inspired Frapin 1270?
Top notes: grape, dried fruit, juniper berries, prune.
Heart notes: everlasting flower, lime blossom, vine flower, geranium.
Base notes: guaic wood, cashmere wood, white honey, vanilla.
I just discovered it and it is lovely for fall.
I beleive wineenthusuast.com still has it for $36
http://www.wineenthusiast.com//outlet/outlet_details.asp?productID=15076&uid=FE9B6B7C-7CC7-403F-AA05-6972668425C8
Thanks for the link, I had looked for it there recently & didn't see it.
I wish it lasted longer too. An Eau de Parfum version would be perfect, although not counting on seeing one!
Thank you Jan, and welcome! I have tried Frapin, but only once & should give it another try. My initial reaction was that it was lovely but sweeter than I would like. I had the same reaction to Ginestet Botrytis.
Yes, the Le Boise bottle is a spray! It's very clever, the red waxy-looking bottle top pulls off and underneath is a spray atomizer. It's so neat.
Thanks T. I might just have to buy one. Drat.
I've always wondered if I was alone in thinking it sounded like a rare disease! Ah, the synchronicity of our weird minds