Sense Check: A Q&A with master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena

What is the first thing you see in the morning?

Opening the shutters of our bedroom this morning, which overlooks the distant blue of the Mediterranean, the light was dazzling, the sky cerulean, the air light, a breath of wind stirring the silvery leaves of the olive trees that border and surround the house.

Describe the view from where you are right now.

From where I stand, my pergola is in full bloom, its cascades of mauve wisteria hanging low in the warm air. The flowers release a soft fragrance of carnation and jasmine, evocative of the elegance of 1920s women. If that scent were ever to find its way back into fashion, I would be quietly delighted.

Is there a view you can’t quite forget?

I know of no more beautiful landscape than this sea of trees flowing into the Mediterranean. It is the image of Delphi and its olive trees, a horizon that has never left me.

Which smell takes you back to childhood?

Olive. When L’Objet approached me to create Delphes, a new fragrance inspired by my childhood memories in the Mediterranean, an olive scent immediately came to my mind. I found a rare extract, never used in perfumery, called Olive Grignon Absolute, and decided to add it to Delphes.

What smell makes you feel at home?

Also the olive. The citrus is considered the heart of the Mediterranean. And the olive is considered the soul. That’s home for me.

What sound do you wake up to?

With the window open, the wisteria on the pergola laden with bees and flowers alike creating a gentle symphony around the house. I like listening to this soft murmur, like the muffled sound of brushes on a cymbal.

Is there a particular dish that has stayed with you?

One memory that has stayed with me is deceptively simple: a slice of warm toast, drenched in intensely green olive oil, topped with a sliver of black truffle and a touch of fleur de sel. It was both rustic and elevated, and it shaped my understanding that simplicity, when precise, can be sublime.

Which dish do you like to cook for yourself?

Something warm, immediate... guided by that instinct more than anything else.

What is your go-to dinner party dish?

I tend to prepare something quite simple. Things that come from what is at hand... made without complication. I prefer when it feels like home, and when the pleasure comes more from sharing than from the dish itself.

Describe your favourite meal.

I remember the company more than the place. A table, a certain light, a conversation... and a dish that arrives at the right moment. That’s what stays with me.

What is the taste of spring?

Artichoke.

Silk or cashmere?

Cashmere.

Marble or wood?

Wood.

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture at home?

It’s always the piece I return to without thinking. The one that receives the body naturally... where texture and presence create something almost instinctive.

Is there a particular object you cherish most?

Working for a time for a saddler, I encountered the most beautiful hides. Some were so fine, so soft, that I didn’t even dare to touch. Because they were tanned with natural tannins, they smelled of violet, narcissus, iris... scents which are considered sacred. I kept one, almost like a memory.

Photographs: Studio Birth, Getty