Sicilian Mandarin Ermenegildo Zegna for men

Has a special place in my heart. This was the last thing my mother bought my father before she died.

Simple at its heart, but beautifully crafted and elegant. I will always have a bottle in my collection.

Smells to me very very similar to Hermes Concentree d'Orange Vert - the concentrate version that removed all the white flowers. Both have a realistic sour citrus on top of an oakmoss base with a bit of herbs thrown in for hyper greenness. The main difference obviously is that HCOV is all green orange with a bit of basil while Sicilian Mandarin is all mandarin. It's a very subtle difference in smell - so if you already have one I don't think you need the other. Both also lose the citrus note rather quickly and leave behind a sour, dark woody base.

Maski's review below is well-written, but way off base describing the fragrance. Sicilian Mandarin is not downtrodden, dilapidated, or neglected. It is stern, robust, and austere. The use of mandarin over the common lemon, lime, and bergamot keeps the sharpness down and the longevity up. The lack of white florals drastically separates it from the numerous citrus/white florals on the market. Petitgrain and mint are much more apparent than any oakmoss, but it's mandarin front row and center. Try Xerjoff's Ascot Moon, then tell me you smell oakmoss in here. I smelled a lot of craft moss growing up, long before getting into the fragrance world, and just don't get any oakmoss in this as the note votes would suggest.

The entire Essenze line is pure class and Sicilian Mandarin is one of the stars.

This is the forgotten mandarin tree at the bottom of a Calabrian citrus grove: growing in the shade of a rock wall, the branches haven't been pruned in years and the bark is rough and knobbly. It's always moist and moss grows at the base of the trunk and on the soil around the tree. A wisp of mint clings to the rock. The tree still bears fruit, but it's an old tree and while the fruit still tastes sweet, it won't be long before it turns woody. Not the popular sunny citrus groves with neroli and orange blossom so common in perfumery, this is a dark, introspective, masculine citrus. This is for those who prefer to walk past the neat rows of blossoming and fruiting citrus and discover the hidden, neglected trees beyond.

The aroma surprised me so much that, after testing it with just 2 or 3 sprays, I immediately went for a full wear with 1.5ml. Beautiful opening, the outgoing orange is interspersed with bergamot (from Zegna's private harvest) and mint and it is noticeable that they primed for the quality of this citrus combo - it's pleasantness is high, it really impresses, that "WOW" comes to mind. I notice that the mint trims edges of citricity and velvets the duo orange-bergamot - a resemblance to Le Labo Bergamote 22 comes immediately to mind, because of that feeling of natural nobility in the aroma. Let it be clear: it is not a perfume that exclusively tributes orange as the score here at Fragra make it look like - the chord is very clearly a TRIO composition in which each of the notes (especially the zegnian bergamot and the mint) plays an important role and demands its own recognition in the whole. I feel that the main competitor of this one in the niche perfumery would be Le Labo Bergamote 22 (and not TF Mandarino di Amalfi as I expected before testing), due to the extreme similarity in the aroma, but Zegna is a little ahead in performance.

Man I loved this at the initial spray, a captivating super refined orange smell. Could have been great and classic, but as it settled on the skin, I didn't like the dry down. Bad blend with the oakmoss and petit grain is what's left behind. So it was a no buy for me

Comparable to Acqua di Bergamotto in terms of quality of scent and performance. It's lovely, really, but this will not be detectable by others around you unless you are in very close quarters, and unless you touch up several times a day. It would be essential to carry a travel atomiser.

It's really a shame how poor the projection is on these Zegna fragrances, because the scent is top notch. That is the trade off--the essence of picking up this bottle, or Acqua di Bergamotto, and conceivably, the rest of the line--you are sacrificing quality of scent for performance.

You wear this one for yourself. Spraying on clothes or hair may help, but not by much. As another reviewer mentioned on the Acqua di Bergamotto page, you could have on 10 sprays in Summer heat and no one would bat an eye. There is a fairly good amount of truth to that.

The orange and mint are nice during the opening. After about 2 hours it becomes just an oakmoss and petitgrain dry down. It's not unpleasant, but the fragrance is called "Sicilian Mandarin" and the orange should stick around for longer in my eyes. The oakmoss is more modern though, a far cry from the dry mothball types of the 70s and 80s. It's not a bad fragrance, but certainly not worth its price tag.

Read full reviews on my blog:

musingsofafraghead.blogspot.com/

A very natural smelling fragrance. Its light and non offensive.. moderate projection for 1st hour then become a skin scent. Only last 4 to 5 hours on my skin.. its a bit to expensive if you ask me.. i only wear this to the office when i dont want people to notice my scent. I guess its good for working out or sport activities as i imagine it needs heat to be noticible. Dior homme cologne works much better on my skin in term of projection n longevity.

Well done, but slightly too simple to justify the high price point IMO.

The Chicago store confirmed that the 5 other fragrances of the Essenze line still on the market will share the stage with the 5 fragrances of the new "Elements of Man" line until Spring 2019, when the Essenze will be discontinued.

"Wisdom" (of Elements of Man new line) is a fragrance that contains mandarin and neroli. It is thus the "universal" alternative for "Sicilian Mandarin" and "Mediterrean Neroli".

Spring/Summer, daytime or evenings out, 30+

This opens with citrus being the dominant vibe, primarily the mandarin itself but also the bergamot accompanying it, which is rounded off and tempered by the freshness of the mint and the greenness of the oakmoss and petitgrain. The way the green notes combine with the citrus is superb, playing the background to the lead role of the citrus. The result is a fragrance that is fresh, lively and classy.

If I were to sum up this fragrance in one phrase I would say that it reminds me of a green (unripe) mandarin which fell from the tree prematurely. Whilst unmistakably being mandarin, it never fully ripened and sweetened like the other mandarins on the tree and therefore kept some of its sour taste and remains true to its green colour.

The combination of the citrus and green nuances in this is much akin to typical EDC type fragrances, and therefore this won't smell new or unique in itself. However, this has been so expertly blended and is just such an excellent fragrance, far above any other cologne I've smelled. Unique - maybe not; excellent - without a doubt.

Scent: 9
Versatility: 8
Uniqueness: 5
Performance: 8

Excellent citrus, has enough sweetness and sourness and lasts for good time in the heat of summer, much better than Italian bergamot one from the same line.

Wow! what a great smelling fragrance! Fresh, classy and long lasting! Citrus done right. quality evident throughout. Can't believe this hasn't gotten more talk. truly a hidden gem.

I don't even like oranges or mandarin in scents but this ladies and gentleman has got to be 1 of the juiciest, authentic ones out there.

I'm big on opening notes and an unashamed top-heavy scent lover (they have to be good enough of course!) but even I have to admit this opening was simply stunning, it almost blew me away.

It is a photo-realistic mandarin, cut and with the full-bodied and wonderfully refreshing juices just seeping.

There is mostly the juice and pulp but what sets it apart is even through the use of the bitter petitgrain there is an amazing juicy-sweetness.

I'll have to give this one a 6/10 overall for me personally, even I would not mind a wear or 3 of this in summer time and again - but on the Quality front, it's a 10 all day any day.

The much vaunted (and more expensive) Jardin d'Amalfi by Creed and Frederic Malle's Biggarade do not even come close!

There's nothing that does mandarin like this out there save for the irrelevant solinote scents from indies.

Not to my tastes for fruity-frag, but one word: magnificent

Stunning stunning stunning ! This fragrance is beautiful... the mandarin is so pure and untouched.

Beautifully crafted and smells gorgeous!

I don’t think a fragrance could get any better than this !

I first smelled this on a friend who was visiting and I was really impressed! now I have a bottle but unfortunately it doesn't suit me personally but it is really beautiful, classy and as the name suggests, mandarin.
All the perfumes in this Zegna line are about 200 euros a bottle which is really expensive but they are also all class.

5/10

Yet another gorgeous Zegna Essenze scent. A beautiful smell of juicy mandarin with an edible zesty-sweet backing create a stunning earthy citrus.

The opening is to die for; a wave of freshly peeled mandarin blasts forward, with already a light earthy edge waiting behind. As time goes on and the heart reveals itself, the zesty mandarin turns sweet and perhaps some sharp mint fleetingly lingers.

As the scent progresses, the oakmoss becomes clearer and clearer whilst the mandarin fades off. A masculine earthy dry down.

This smells incredibly smooth and surprisingly dark. If you have smelled Creed's Jardin d'Amalfi, this smells like its masculine counterpart.

Longevity is about 7-8 hours, with 3-4 hours of good projection.

Stunning.

I find this to be the Cherry Coke to Italian Bergamot's Coke. It's mostly the same as IB, but some orange notes pop through from time to time. Don't get this thinking it is a fall over orange scent but rather IB with some orange that peeks through.

Genuine mandarin scent! Top notes smell exactly the way mandarin peel smells. Just beautiful! Later it's more green and minty, but it's lovely all the time.

This is a truly pleasant surprise from Ermenegildo Zegna: lovely, fresh and airy yet dark citrus with lots of bittersweet mandarin peel, petitgrain, oakmoss and a touch of mint. The drydown is a smoothly green, woody and mossy dream that lingers for a long time. Impressive!

Great scent. Very fresh, actually the freshest among the Sicilian Mandarin, Italian Bergamot and Mediterranean Neroli. I've gotten compliments when wearing it. Longevity and sillage are just average, not as great as the Italian Bergamot and Mediterranean Neroli. Still, I love it. Sure!

I just can’t help giggling when a mainstream fragrance company expands its portfolio by launching a supposedly exclusive range of scents. What many of these brands don’t seem to get is that producing true niche fragrances is not so much about expensive materials, fancy flacons, ludicrous backstories or exorbitant price tags. Masterful blending, willingness to push the envelope and, above all, a competent creative direction also play a vital role in the process.

The Italian company “Ermenegildo Zegna” has been around for about a hundred years, producing chic men’s clothes and accessories. As for their fragrances, I vaguely remember smelling one of their mainstream concoctions- a totally clichéd mix aimed at gentlemen for whom spritzing on their “cologne” is nothing more than a mundane morning routine whose sole purpose is to cover up all traces of body odour. So when I learnt Zegna had introduced their exclusive “Essenze” collection, I first produced the aforementioned giggle and rolled my eyes. Here we go again! But after reading a couple of favourable reviews, I was curious to try them for myself to see if the praise was justified. So far I’ve sampled five Essenze scents and I can conclude that what these fragrances lack in the originality department is generously made up for in terms of quality, consistency and, yes, competent creative direction.

It is my firm belief that when it comes to summer scents, there is hardly anything more uplifting and satisfying than a well-made, citrus-based eau de cologne. Nonetheless, there’s a downside and a quite a substantial one at that- the fleeting nature of its notes that makes the pleasure extremely short-lived. “Sicilian Mandarin” is Zegna’s attempt at composing a cologne-style fragrance. The result? An impressive one indeed! It opens with a burst of mandarin which is zesty rather than sweet and truly natural smelling. The mandarin is backed up by bergamot (also a natural note, reportedly from Zegna’s very own Calabrian orchard). On my skin, during the first fifteen minutes the mandarin and the bergamot play a tug of war in which the latter note eventually prevails. The citruses eventually land on a gentle mossy base. For a citrus-centred fragrance, "Sicilian Mandarin" has a decent longevity, but (not surprisingly) a reapplication will be necessary every three or four hours.

“Sicilian Mandarin”, just like its siblings from the Essenze family, doesn’t beat about the bush when it comes to its composition. It also lacks profound complexity, which is not necessarily a problem provided that things are done with care and dedication. All in all, “Sicilian Mandarin” is a very solid and pleasant scent that successfully captures the essence of summer. Ben fatto!

A more balanced modification of Armani Prive Oranger Alhambra.

It also has much in common with Italian Bergamot, and seemingly contains Neroli as well. But I cannot find neroli or orange blossom in the accords, nor detect any oakmoss by my nose.

This one is much better than Italian Bergamot, and does not have a disturbing cheapy air-freshener-ish citrus smell like IB, which just cannot be better anymore.

It may not have a distinctive character from other citrus colognes, but acts like a beacon of "THE LESS IS MORE".

Longevity: 6-10 hrs, moderate projection for the first 2-3 hour, then turns to be a skin scent.
Rating: 8.5/10

the sicilian mandarin is my favourite from the collection • it is bright sparkling citrus, woody and earthy too • above all, it smells real and somehow closest to nature • you get the zesty fruit, the green leaves, the tree, the branches, the twigs, the soil where it grows and everything in between • initially, it starts slightly aldehydic and soapy to my nose • this may not be as 'resfreshing' citrus fragrance as many would expect it to be, yet it has the therapeutic charms • and that therapeutic charms lends class to this fragrance • great longevity while its projection is moderate •

mandarin, bergamot, spearmint, petitgrain and moss, so it is soury, fresh and clean mandarin, light touch of sweetness is nice plus petitgrain make it bit bitter and I love little touch of moss to make woody vibe in dry down, i love to wear it for work, casual and work

i rate it 9/10
it safe for blind buy? YES, absolutely

The ESSENZE collection was mastered beautifully .You have to appreciate them, for what they are, simple yet elegant fragrances, made in EAU DE TOILETTE form, out of excellent materials, that smell natural, and nicer than a lot of EAU DE PARFUM scents .I only state this, because each scent, contains very few ingredients. Truly underrated bunch . Sicilian Mandarin is my EZ top pick .

I had to click 'Love' on this one a strong citrus bergamot & mandarin fragrance which smells truly amazing, juicy and uplifting. Petitgrain is a welcome partner in here but I don't get any oakmoss or anything that grounds the fragrance either in woods or greenness coming from something like vetiver? which it's sadly lacking. Hate to nay say such a quality citrus but it's too linear a composition and too expensive to excite me all that much.

A fresh summer scent for a grown man. Absolutely stunning. Could be a signature scent.
9/10.