Sacreste

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All about this fragrance

Vibe check

Sacreste suits a moment when the pace slows and conversation becomes more attentive. Its incense and dry cedar suggest the stillness of a wood-panelled room, while saffron and soft Cashmeran keep the impression tactile rather than austere. The presence is thoughtful, with warmth beneath its smoky reserve.

How to wear

Start with one or two sprays on the upper body, allowing the resinous incense and soft woods room to unfold. Cool or mild weather is a natural setting for this profile; in warmer conditions, apply more lightly so the labdanum and spices do not crowd its airier side.

Who it’s for

For those drawn to incense-led fragrances with dry woods, resinous depth and a soft, musky finish. It will appeal to tastes that favour contemplative, textured compositions over overt sweetness, with enough spice and warmth to avoid a strictly austere impression.

Release year

2018

The nose

Luca Maffei is an Italian perfumer whose work spans independent artistic houses and established brands. His compositions often combine clearly defined accords with richly textured woods, resins and spices. For Sacreste, he developed an incense accord from an earlier trial into a complete fragrance, refining its sensual character with Roberto Drago.

Collaborators

Roberto Drago, Laboratorio Olfattivo’s co-founder and artistic director, identified the incense note in Maffei’s trial as the starting point for a separate fragrance. He worked with the perfumer to refine that accord and shape Sacreste’s sensual, resinous character.

Laboratorio Olfattivo’s story

Laboratorio Olfattivo approaches perfumery as an open creative laboratory, giving perfumers freedom to develop an initial idea into an olfactory story. Memories, journeys and emotions guide the work, while restrained packaging keeps the emphasis on the composition rather than decorative spectacle.

Sacreste’s concept

Sacreste grew out of a trial submitted for another, long-running fragrance project. Roberto Drago was drawn to its incense note, and he and Luca Maffei developed it separately, refining its texture and sensuality. The result preserves the contemplative associations of incense while grounding them in woods, resins and musk.

Extra info

Sacreste is an invented name: Roberto Drago coined it to evoke incense, churches and the Italian word for sacristy. Its published heart notes name two distinct incense materials, Hyperessence of Incense and Fumencens.