How did this meeting between your two worlds come about?
Sophie Labbé: The dialogue stemmed from something that felt self-evident. Maison Psyché was born of a shared passion for terroirs and savoir-faire. Very quickly, the idea emerged naturally: the worlds of fragrance and spirits could speak to one another. As natives of the Cognac region, we share an olfactory and gustatory culture shaped by this land. Baptiste Loiseau: The idea for this collaboration emerged in the summer of 2020, followed by a first meeting in Cognac that September. This project brought together two areas of expertise and two passions for creating exceptional products, both deeply rooted in their terroir.
How do you compose Maison Psyché's fragrances together?
SL: It is a two-voiced collaboration. I worked on the perfume composition, drawing on Baptiste's observations, while he brought his expertise as Cellar Master. From the outset, we worked in constant consultation. For each fragrance, we assessed the ageing time in the small casks together. BL: The initial phases focused on sharing our impressions of how the raw materials behaved in contact with oak already used for ageing. By evaluating together the potential contribution of the wood, we refined the formula collectively.
What does cellar ageing bring compared with a classical perfume creation process?
SL: Ageing in small casks radically transforms the creation. Time spent in oak has a real power of metamorphosis: it magnifies the essences while respecting the heart of the composition and its natural character. In a classical process, a perfume macerates. Here, it evolves. BL: The maturation of Maison Psyché fragrances is conducted with the same rigour as that of our eaux-de-vie, involving meticulous olfactory assessment. The main distinction lies in the size of the casks: their small capacity requires much more frequent weekly sensory evaluations.
How did you select the five core ingredients of the Edition Collection?
SL: The collection is built around exceptional natural ingredients, sustainably sourced from different regions of the world. Each fragrance is structured around a key raw material, drawn from a specific terroir and a responsible supply chain. This choice is never purely technical: it is instinctive. BL: The selection grew out of the exploratory phase conducted between 2020 and 2021. We selected rose from Grasse, Madagascan vanilla, Italian bergamot, Indonesian patchouli and Indian jasmine.
Is time a contemporary luxury?
BL: Before being a timeless luxury, time is first and foremost Nature's accomplice. For Maison Psyché, it is about letting time do its work, allowing exceptional raw materials to slowly harmonise in our ageing cellars. SL: Time is central. Yes, I deeply believe that time is a luxury, because it offers what haste can never produce: a unique olfactory signature, remarkable persistence on the skin, and previously unseen nuances that reveal themselves progressively. Time is not a constraint, but a richness.
Has the creation of these first fragrances inspired new avenues to explore together?
SL: We are continuing to explore the ageing of fragrances in small casks. We will need to wait a little before discovering the next chapter, which remains under wraps. BL: Ideas are flourishing and the possibilities for exploration continue to multiply. But this process requires patience, time, and a willingness to be surprised. That is also what makes Maison Psyché singular: opening up new avenues without ever forcing the material.