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    SILLORIA

    Ingredient Profile

    Gorse fragrance note

    Gorse, the spiny golden shrub of Atlantic coasts, yields a honey‑sweet, resinous oil that brightens accords with its sunny, slightly bitter…More

    Portugal

    1

    Fragrances

    StoryProductionOrigin

    Fragrances featuring Gorse

    Un Été Français by Celine
    Best Seller
    4.1

    Un Été Français

    Celine

    Character

    The Story of Gorse

    Gorse, the spiny golden shrub of Atlantic coasts, yields a honey‑sweet, resinous oil that brightens accords with its sunny, slightly bitter edge, adding a crisp lift to modern blends.

    Heritage

    Ancient Greeks recorded gorse as a fragrant offering in sacred rites, noting its bright scent alongside myrtle and rosemary. Roman texts describe gorse blossoms as a source of honey and a component of early scented balms. During the Middle Ages, herbalists listed gorse in medicinal compendia for its antiseptic properties. By the 19th century, French perfume workshops in Grasse began experimenting with gorse extracts, mixing them with lavender and citrus to create bright top notes for summer fragrances. The first commercial CO2 extraction appeared in the early 2000s, allowing perfumers to capture the shrub's delicate aroma without the bitterness that traditional distillation introduced. Today, niche houses cite gorse as a signature element in aromatic‑green compositions, honoring its centuries‑old role as a sun‑lit accent in the perfume palette.

    At a Glance

    Fragrances

    1

    Feature this note

    Origin

    Portugal

    Primary source region

    Ingredient Details

    Extraction

    Solvent extraction (CO2)

    Used Parts

    Dried flowering tops

    Did You Know

    "Gorse flowers produce more nectar per hour than any other UK wild plant, supporting twice the bee population during midsummer."

    Production

    How Gorse Is Made

    Harvesters cut gorse flowering tops at peak bloom, then spread them in shade to dry for 48 hours. Dry material enters a CO2 extraction vessel where supercritical carbon dioxide sweeps the resinous compounds from the plant matrix. The CO2 returns to gas, leaving a clear, amber oil that retains the shrub's honey‑sweet nuance. Some houses still employ steam distillation of fresh blossoms, but the CO2 method preserves more volatile notes and reduces thermal degradation. After extraction, the oil passes through a short silica column to remove waxes, then is filtered and stored in amber glass to protect it from light. The process yields roughly 0.4 % oil by weight, a modest figure that reflects the plant's low oil content but high aromatic intensity. Sustainable practices include rotating harvest sites and replanting cut shrubs, ensuring the wild populations remain healthy.

    Provenance

    Portugal

    Portugal38.5°N, 8.0°W

    About Gorse