Swiss stone pine
Pinus cembraWood in a chalet and needles in the mountains can create very different memories.
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Recognising the subject
Pinus cembra has needles in bundles of five and grows in subalpine landscapes, including the Engadine. Its botanical name matters: different pines cannot be assigned one identical smell.
Which season?
Needles persist all year. An accessible summer path may offer better observation than winter snow. A professional harvest depends on location and plant part; February is our editorial theme, not a cutting instruction.
The dossier month is a reading appointment, not a harvesting date. Observe without collecting; altitude, weather and provenance change the seasons.
From plant to material
A cembra product may be wood, shavings, an extract or a scented product. “Pine” does not describe a process. If a supplier documents foliage distillation, do not call it wood extraction. No particular extract in our creations is claimed here.
Extract · How to study this lesson
Look for four things on a supplier’s sheet: botanical name, plant part, process and batch origin. An essential oil, a maceration and an accord are different things. Distillation does not reproduce an entire landscape’s smell: it selects what steam can carry.
Useful words
Describing a sensation is not analysing a formula. Write “this reminds me of…” when offering a comparison.
Facet
One aspect of a smell: a single material may suggest lemon, green leaves and wood.
Accord
A blend of materials that creates an overall impression. It can evoke a plant without containing its extract.
Extract
A material obtained from a source through a specific process. The plant name alone is not enough: the part and method matter.
Distillation
Steam carries volatile constituents. After cooling, the watery distillate is separated from the essential oil when present.
Absolute
A fragrant extract obtained through extraction and purification, usually with solvents. It is not an essential oil.
Resin
A plant secretion distinct from needles and wood. Its extract and an essential oil distilled from foliage are not interchangeable.
A simple exercise
Compare a wood-lined room with a walk among pines. Which seems dry, green or resinous?
Understanding the answer
A woody smell need not be a needle smell. The plant part, processing and surroundings matter. Describe first, then name.
These materials are learning subjects, not a list of ingredients in Maison du Lac creations.
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Next Cahier
Learning to smell and describe
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