Preludio.

Preludio arrived in 2012 as the opening act of Gritti’s Black Collection, a nod to the house’s Venetian roots and Luca Gritti’s chemistry background. The perfumer wanted a scent that felt like the first bars of a composition before the main performance, bright, airy, and unmistakably Italian. Using familiar Mediterranean ingredients, he built a fragrance that evokes a sun‑drenched canal morning, where the water reflects citrus and lavender before the day deepens.

Watermelon and Sicilian lemon give the opening a crisp, watery sweetness that feels almost edible, while French lavender adds a herbaceous lift reminiscent of garden hedges along the Grand Canal. The heart’s pine and sandalwood introduce a forest‑like green that balances the sweetness, and tobacco injects a subtle smoky warmth. The base’s borage, musk and amber anchor the composition, turning the fleeting freshness into a lingering, comforting trail.

At first spray, the fragrance erupts with a juicy splash of watermelon and lemon that instantly brightens the air, the lavender hovering like a soft breeze. Within ten minutes the citrus fades, giving way to a green pine forest where sandalwood’s creamy woodiness and a hint of tobacco create a warm, slightly smoky heart. As the scent settles after thirty minutes, the base emerges: borage adds a faint marine mineral note, musk wraps the skin in a velvety skin‑kiss, and amber provides a lingering golden glow that can be detected for up to eight hours on most skin types.

Part of Gritti’s Black Collection, Preludio quickly became a reference point for sweet‑fresh aromatics within the niche community. Wearers often cite its bright opening as a summer staple, while the tobacco‑tinged heart draws a small but loyal following who appreciate the subtle contrast. Though not as polarising as some avant‑garde releases, it holds a steady place on wishlists for those seeking a refined, Mediterranean‑inspired everyday fragrance.