Technical detail
Citrus bergamia is cultivated almost exclusively on a narrow coastal strip of the Reggio Calabria province in southern Italy (Calabria); attempts to grow it elsewhere consistently produce inferior oil. The cold-expression method preserves the full aromatic complexity: approximately 30, 45% linalyl acetate (floral-sweet), 10, 20% limonene (fresh citrus), and traces of linalool, bergapten, and other terpenoids (Società Italiana per lo Studio dei Bergamotto, accessed 2026-05-27).
Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) in cold-pressed bergamot oil is a furocoumarin that causes photosensitization. Rectified (bergapten-free) bergamot, from which the bergapten has been removed, is required by IFRA for leave-on applications; FCF (furocoumarin-free) bergamot is the standard for modern fine fragrance formulas (IFRA Standard, accessed 2026-05-27).
Its role in the chypre accord (bergamot top, oakmoss base, labdanum heart) is canonical since Coty's Chypre (1917).
Examples
- Mitsouko (Guerlain, 1919, Jacques Guerlain): bergamot opens the canonical chypre-peach accord.
- Chanel No 5 (1921, Ernest Beaux): bergamot in the top-note structure above the aldehydic floral heart.
- Acqua di Parma Colonia (1916): Calabrian bergamot as the dominant citrus material in the historical Italian cologne style.
Sources
- Société Française des Parfumeurs EN, bergamot entry (accessed 27 May 2026)
- Società Italiana per lo Studio dei Bergamotto (STAB), Reggio Calabria production data (accessed 27 May 2026)
- IFRA Standard: Citrus bergamia peel oil cold pressed (accessed 27 May 2026)