plant
Rose
Rosa × centifolia
Origin
The cabbage rose is cultivated around Grasse in southern France, where it is hand-harvested in May. The blooms are picked at dawn and solvent-extracted into a concrete and absolute, as their delicate scent is largely destroyed by steam distillation.
The smell
A lush, honeyed floral with a deep, slightly spicy and peppery facet. Fresh and dewy at first, it develops a rich, jammy, almost wine-like sweetness with a faint green stem note. The drydown is warm, soft and faintly clove-like.
Key quality
Unlike the Damask rose, the centifolia is processed primarily by solvent extraction to yield a softer, honeyed absolute rather than an otto.
Historical use
The centifolia was extensively bred by Dutch horticulturalists in the 17th century and immortalised in the floral paintings of artists such as Jan van Huysum. It became the signature rose of the Grasse extraction industry from the 18th century.