Currant Buds

While crème de cassis first appeared in Dijon in 1841, black currant buds did not enter perfumery until 1969, when Guerlain introduced Chamade. Van Cleef & Arpels furthered the note's reputation with First in 1976, composed by Jean-Claude Ellena. Annick Goutal's Eau de Charlotte in 1982 paid tribute to her daughter Charlotte, who loved black currant jam, blending the buds with mimosa and cocoa. The note traces its perfumery roots to Burgundy's long-standing tradition of black currant cultivation, which flourished in that region for food and beverage use. King Louis XV himself discovered ratafia made from the fruit during a hunting lunch in Neuilly, subsequently introducing it to the French court. This aristocratic endorsement cemented black currant's cultural standing in France long before the buds found their niche in fine fragrance. Today, the absolute remains exclusive to high-end perfumery, prized for its multi-layered fruity-green character that synthetic alternatives cannot fully replicate.