Chinotto blossom

NaturalFLOWERSfloral · citrus · fresh

HeartPyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

1Origins

Specimen

Chinotto blossom perfume ingredient — Heart

Citrus myrtifolia

Definition

Petitgrain's bitter cousin in bloom. Chinotto blossom smells like neroli stripped of its sweetness -- white-floral, green, with a pronounced bitter-citrus bite underneath.

CHINOTTO MYRTIFOLIA BLOSSOM

Type: Ingredient
Olfactive family: Florals
Subfamily: White florals
Cluster: Classic florals
Source: flower
Chemical class: complex natural (essential oil)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Italy

Scent

White-floral with a pronounced bitter-citrus undertone. Greener and more astringent than neroli, less sweet than orange blossom water, with a petitgrain-like leafy quality. The bitterness is particular -- sharper than bergamot, more vegetal than grapefruit. Think neroli with the honey removed and a green, almost medicinal edge added.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

Terroir & Origins

The Full Story

Chinotto blossom comes from Citrus myrtifolia, a small, bitter citrus tree native to southern China and cultivated mainly in Liguria (Italy) and Corsica. The tree produces small, intensely bitter fruits used in the Italian soft drink chinotto. The blossoms are small, white, and fragrant -- similar in appearance to orange blossom but with a distinctly more bitter, green character.

No commercial essential oil of chinotto blossom is widely produced. The aromatic profile overlaps with neroli (from bitter orange blossom) but is greener, more astringent, and less sweet. Key volatile components likely include linalool, linalyl acetate, limonene, and nerolidol -- the standard citrus-flower toolkit -- but with a higher proportion of bitter, green elements.

In perfumery, chinot to blossom works as a bitter-green modifier to standard neroli or orange blossom accords. It adds astringency and a particular Italian-Mediterranean character. The note functions in the top-to-heart zone of hesperidic, green-floral, and Mediterranean compositions.

—

Did You Know?

Chinotto, the Italian soft drink made from Citrus myrtifolia fruit, was so popular in mid-20th-century Italy that it rivalled Coca-Cola in domestic market share. The drink is intensely bitter -- the citrus equivalent of Campari.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

No standardised chinotto blossom oil is commercially available. The note is reconstructed by modifying neroli or orange blossom accords with petitgrain, bitter-citrus elements, and green modifiers.

Formula: N/A - natural flower
CAS: 97675-68-8
Botanical: Citrus myrtifolia
Appearance: Colorless to pale yellow liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: CHINOTTO MYRTIFOLIA BLOSSOM

IFRA status

See note

No IFRA Standard for the material itself (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Specific gravity: 0.845–0.870 @ 25 °C (est)
Note: Citrus myrtifolia blossom. Petitgrain-like citrus-floral aroma with bitter neroli facets.

In Perfumery

Chinot to blossom is a bitter-green citrus-floral modifier functioning in the top-to-heart zone. It provides astringency and a distinctly Italian-Mediterranean character to neroli and orange blossom accords. Key construction: neroli with heightened green and bitter qualities via petitgrain, limonene, and bitter-citrus aldehydes. The note works in hesperidic colognes, green-floral compositions, and bitter-citrus accords.

Role in the formula

01diffusion enhancer

02modifier

03signature note

04lifting agent

05blender

06volume builder

Available as

essential oil