Chinatown is the latest fragrance release from Bond no. 9. It was created by nose Aurelien Guichard, and has notes of peach blossom, bergamot, peony, gardenia, tuberose, orange blossom, patchouli, cardamom, vanilla, cedar, guaiac wood, sandalwood.

Chinatown starts out as a sweet floriental, but the sweetness calms considerably as the top notes fade. The floral notes are prominent for the next 20 minutes or so. I cannot make out the orange blossom at all, and the peony is very faint. The gardenia & tuberose are more in evidence, but they are very much tempered by the base notes: this does not smell like a heady white floral.

The dry down is smooth, deep woods, with a generous dusting of cardamom and a touch of sweetness from the patchouli and vanilla. It is very feminine, and the lasting power is excellent.

It is a lovely composition, perhaps the nicest from Bond no. 9 so far, although I have only tried about half of the 20+ fragrances they have released in the last couple years. But as a confirmed patchouli hater, I am probably not going to need a bottle. The patchouli is not at all overdone, mind you, but it is still more than I care for. My favorite from the line is still Eau de New York, which I will review another day.

The (gorgeous!) bottle for Bond no. 9 Chinatown was inspired by a Ming Dynasty ginger jar. A 50 ml bottle is $110, 100 ml is $178. You can also buy the Bond no. 9 fragrances by the ounce: the juice is $45 an ounce and there are a variety of bottle choices, starting with a basic 2 ounce spray flacon for $25. For buying information, see the listing for Bond no. 9 under Perfume Houses.

Bonus: listen to a 2004 interview with Laurice Rahme on NPR, and take a look at the limited edition "Chinatown, Crystallized" bottle.