Gritti
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot's citrus bite cuts clean and bright, immediately companioned by mango's creamy sweetness, but saffron seizes control within moments—peppery, slightly dusty, transforming what could have been a cheerful tropical opener into something with genuine spice and structure. The first five minutes are almost disconcerting in their complexity; this isn't a simple citrus spray.
By the ninety-minute mark, the rose emerges with quiet authority, backed by iris that lends an almost powdery creaminess, and the tropical fruits deepen into something more restrained and sophisticated. The saffron has melded with the white florals, creating an almost savoury-floral accord that's quite unlike conventional fruity florals; there's an almost nutty undercurrent developing here.
The base notes settle into a creamy, lightly ambered finish where white musk and oud create a soft, skin-scent quality rather than a bold declaration. What remains is intimate and powdery-warm, retaining the faintest suggestion of saffron spice and rose, though the composition has mellowed considerably into something almost soap-like in its cleanliness.
Rialto opens a window onto the Grand Canal at sunrise—not the postcard Venice of crowded squares, but the Venice of spice merchants unloading their wares, of silk traders negotiating in hushed tones. Luca Gritti has constructed something genuinely architectural here: the bergamot arrives with a gentle bitterness, immediately joined by mango's honeyed voluptuousness, but it's the saffron that orchestrates everything, threading through like golden thread binding disparate fabrics together. This isn't saffron as exotic garnish; it's saffron as structural element, lending an almost savoury minerality that prevents the composition from tipping into straightforward fruity sweetness.
The heart reveals Gritti's true intention. Taif rose—that prized, slightly spicy Damascus relative—emerges with surprising gentleness, cushioned by tropical fruits that suggest passion fruit and white peach rather than obvious stone fruits. The iris here functions as a creamy intermediary, softening edges without sacrificing definition. There's an almost creamy floral character developing, 64% creamy accord suggests a subtle osmanthus-like quality lurking beneath the named notes, creating an almost almond-tinged warmth.
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3.6/5 (101)