Escapade Gourmande Grand Cru Absolu de Parfum 100 ml

Escapade Gourmande Grand Cru

Short Product Description
Two vanilla absolutes, Peru balsam and caramelised black sugar turn the Maison Mataha icon into a richer, deeper Absolu de Parfum.

Inspiration
The starting point is still that first spoonful of crème brûlée: the brittle crust of burnt sugar giving way to warm, creamy custard. Maison Mataha was founded around this memory in 2021, and Escapade Gourmande became the signature of the Parisian house. For Grand Cru, the two founders and perfumer Vincent Ricord went back to where it all began. They kept the comforting warmth of the original and gave it more weight, texture and sensuality through exceptional natural materials. The concentration rises to 35 percent, making it an Absolu de Parfum, housed in a bottle dressed in gold flakes and crowned with a sculpted golden cap.

Perfumer
Vincent Ricord, the nose behind the original Escapade Gourmande, working alongside the two founders of the house.

Fragrance Family
Amber gourmand, vanilla.

The Olfactive Composition
Top notes: Cristal vanilla absolute, Peru balsam essence
Heart notes: black sugar accord, tonka bean absolute
Base notes: Bourbon vanilla absolute, musk accord

The Signature of Escapade Gourmande Grand Cru
This version is built on a conversation between two vanillas. Cristal vanilla absolute opens bright and almost translucent, while Bourbon vanilla absolute in the base reads darker, sweeter and woodier. Where the original relied largely on a single vanilla line, here you smell a layered vanilla that moves from light to deep as the hours pass. Peru balsam adds a resinous, faintly cinnamon-like warmth from the first seconds; the balsam naturally contains cinnamates and benzyl benzoate, which lend the vanilla a smoky, balsamic edge. In the heart, the black sugar accord captures the moment sugar darkens under the torch: bittersweet, with a scorched tone. Tonka bean absolute smooths this out with coumarin, a molecule reminiscent of almond, hay and sweet tobacco, bridging the gap towards the creaminess of custard. Finally the musk accord lays a soft, powdery film beneath it all, so the composition stays close to the skin and glows for a long time. The result feels fuller and more mature next to Escapade Gourmande, with a nutty depth absent from the original.

What our ParfuMaria team thinks of this fragrance
Escapade Gourmande has long been one of the scents customers come back to ask for in our shop, so we were honestly a little sceptical about a second version. That doubt vanished with the first wearing. Grand Cru opens less candied than you might expect; first comes that balsamic, slightly resinous warmth, and only then does the burnt sugar rise up. On a blotter the difference from the original seems modest, but on the wrist it becomes clear after an hour: the vanilla darkens and picks up something of roasted hazelnut and aged wood. One of us wore it on a cold Saturday under a wool coat, and by evening the scarf still smelled of caramel and warm cream. Because of the high concentration, one or two sprays are plenty; more makes it heavier rather than more beautiful. We see it mainly for autumn and winter, and for anyone who already knows the original and longs for more depth. If you are after a fresh or airy vanilla, look elsewhere. For us, this is the gourmand of the season.