West Side Bond No 9

Source: Amazon.com

I've smelt boozy scents but I've yet to identify wine as a note till West Side where I can confidently say I smell red wine, like a classic Burgundy red that's rich and earthy ( think forest floor and mushrooms). Next to your glass or bottle of red there is a vase with a few blooms of roses, their subtle sweetness coming forth in gentle wafts. Each time you lift the glass you get a whiff of your favourite ylang ylang lotion slathered on hours ago. There is a bit of vanilla, just the barest hint as if you wolfed down some vanilla sponge cake and mere crumbs are left as evidence of the treat and the smell left in your memory. 

West Side is a laid back perfume, not quite shorts and slippers at the beach but a Sunday afternoon or a holiday spent relaxing by a quiet side-walk cafe, sharing a bottle and light chat with a close friend while people watching. Nobody in this scene least of all you, is in a hurry, everyone moves at a leisurely pace not ruminating over the past or worrying about the future...just enjoying the "now". In the drydown the vanilla becomes stronger as if you gave in to temptation and ordered another vanilla slice, while the wine and roses stay with you throughout the day.