Cortile Dolce

Cortile Dolce

“This is my love letter to Sicily. It’s everything I
adore about the island, bottled up.”

—Jordan Samuel Pacitti

 

It’s Sicily in all its vibrant contrasts: sun-ripened lime leaf, earthy cedarwood, and a breeze of jasmine shimmering through turquoise coves. Meet our very first scent, Cortile Dolce (kohr-TEE-leh DOL-cheh): an elevated take on a spontaneous Vespa ride through Sicily, where a touch of sweetness subtly reveals itself and hints at the island as the real dessert capital. The scent of almond granita wafts from a local pasticceria and mingles with the soft, salty tang of the coastline, where windswept white amber adds warmth, time seems to slow down, and you fall in love, just a little bit, with everyone and everything you meet.

*Due to shipping restrictions the fragrance can only be shipped within the contiguous United States at the moment.

Bright greenSicilian limes hang from their tree branches against a sunny blue sky.

The Notes

Lime leaf brings a burst of fresh, green citrusy top notes from Palermo’s sun-splattered streets. It’s a spritz overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, the salty tang of ocean breezes, and juice that is most definitely worth the squeeze.

Jasmine adds romance and intrigue with Ortigia’s lush, floral garden courtyards. It’s jasmine vines climbing ancient stone walls at twilight as lovers, buzzing from great wine, hold hands across the cobblestones.

Cedarwood grounds us in nature with a rugged, earthy base and warm touch of balsamic sweetness. It’s a toasty breeze whispering in from the white sands and seaside cliffs of Mondello.

A touch of sweetness takes us to Noto’s Caffè Sicilia with silk-spun notes of almond granita and brioche buns. It’s a taste of la dolce vita — the sweet life — where indulgence flirts with restraint.

White amber brings a musky heart and creamy finish that hints at the spirit of the Italian Isle, where ancient ruins meet the sea. It’s the sunset glowing over dramatic cliffs as conversations grow softer and more sensual.

A Twist of Fate

Like destiny, Cortile Dolce is the product of a serendipitous encounter. Our founder, Jordan, had long admired Luca Maffei's fragrances, but accepted the low likelihood of ever working together. Until a twist of fate led to them co-creating an endless Sicilian summer fragrance. With the bright zest of sunlit lime, the warmth of cedarwood, and hushed floral whisper of jasmine, Cortile Dolce unfolds in layers, much like the story that brought Jordan and Luca together.

 

“As a ballet dancer in my first life, my early love of scent developed during afternoon trips from Lincoln Center to Bloomingdales’ fragrance aisle and was refined in the perfume capitals of the world: France and Italy. This debut fragrance is inspired by those trips to Italy and was artfully crafted by Luca Maffei — the creator of so many of my favorite scents — to transport you from the Italian coast to its cobblestoned piazzas.”

—Jordan Samuel Pacitti