Quick answers
History
Isparta opened Pierre Guillaume’s theme 26 in 2014, a neo-chypre built entirely around the rose of Turkey. The province of Isparta is famed for its rose oil, obtained from a variety called the “Isparta Summer Roses”, which grow profusely in gardens and terraced fields on the soft mountain slopes.
The roses are picked early in the morning, when they are half-open and their fragrance is strongest: intense, rich, slightly spicy. It is this rose that Pierre Guillaume places at the heart of a neo-chypre, a modernized chypre structure that abandons the classic oakmoss in favor of a woody, ambered base.
Behind wisps of burning resins, Isparta hides a woody rose, embraced by the velvety animal accord of red fruit, benzoin, calamus and ambroxan. Red fruits and the Isparta rose open the composition with a fleshy glow; patchouli and calamus settle a woody, spicy heart; ambroxan and resins lay down an animal warmth in the base, dark and enveloping.
The name states the origin: the summer roses of the horticultural province of Isparta, in Turkey, the rose capital of the world. Isparta is not tied to a numbered variation: it is a standalone opus of the catalogue, the house’s rose treated as a neo-chypre, between fruity glow and resinous depth.
Olfactory pyramid
Pierre Guillaume does not publish a formal pyramid: the layout below follows the progression described in the catalogue, from fruity rose to animal resins.
The thread is the Isparta rose, woody and fruity, embraced by resins and ambroxan in an animal velvet.
Olfactory profile
Isparta is a neo-chypre rather than a classic chypre. Pierre Guillaume places the rose of Turkey at the heart, but wraps it not in oakmoss but in a woody, ambered base: patchouli, ambroxan and resins draw a dark, sensual rose, far from bright, powdery roses. It is a woody rose, warm and animal.
Its signature lies in this resinous setting that embraces the flower: red fruits give it glow, calamus spices it, ambroxan and benzoin give it depth. The rose is never demure, always held by an animal warmth. The trail is present and enveloping, which makes it a chypre of character, unisex, at ease in the evening and in cool weather.
A woody rose embraced by a velvety animalic accord of red fruit, benzoin, calamus and ambroxan.Pierre Guillaume Paris, catalogue 2025–26
Key characteristics
When and where to wear
Isparta is a cool-weather neo-chypre, at its best when coolness sets off its resinous rose. Its red fruits and rose nonetheless keep enough glow for mid-season, while ambroxan and resins bloom in cold weather and in the evening.
Usage guidance
Seasonal fit
| Season | Fit | Critical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | ★★★★ | The fruity rose blooms. |
| Summer | ★★★☆ | The fruity glow holds the heat. |
| Autumn | ★★★★ | Ideal season for its resins. |
| Winter | ★★★★ | Ambroxan and patchouli warm it. |
Setting fit
| Setting | Fit | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday | ★★★★ | Reference use. |
| Dates | ★★★★ | A sensual, animal rose. |
| Evening | ★★★★ | Its resinous ground. |
| Office | ★★★☆ | If the trail stays measured. |
| Sport | ★★☆☆ | Too resinous for exertion. |
Similar perfumes
Pierre Guillaume’s neo-chypre speaks to the great woody, chypre roses of niche perfumery.
| Perfume | House · year | Why it is close |
|---|---|---|
| Isparta as the house’s rose | Pierre Guillaume Paris · 2014 | Within the PGP catalogue, Isparta is the rose opus of the neo-chypre, distinct from the neighboring floral or woody themes; its rose of Turkey and resinous base make it a signature of its own. |
| Rose 31 | Le Labo · 2006 | A woody neo-chypre from niche built around rose and cumin, the same drive to anchor the flower in a woody, animal base rather than a powdery one. |
Common questions
See also
Sources
- Pierre Guillaume Paris catalogue 2025–26 (English edition)
- Pierre Guillaume Paris, official Isparta page
- Fragrantica, Isparta 26 entry