30 May 2025 - Today we interviewed Alessandro Dòmini of Casalvento, a third-generation grower and distiller of Lavanda del Chianti®. This organic, single-origin essential oil is the aromatic heart of the fougère accord that makes the Matcha fragrance unique.

Alessandro, how did you end up working with lavender?

Mine is a simple, family story. It all started with my grandfather, a pharmacist and physiologist. In the 1950s, he decided to purchase this estate in Castellina in Chianti as a place to relax. He noticed that aromatic plants grew spontaneously at Casalvento, so he began experimenting with the cultivation of medicinal plants and the extraction of their oils - an activity that echoed his academic roots and training as a pharmacist.
In the 1960s, this was a revolutionary idea: farming was still mostly subsistence-based, and we were pioneers of a completely new approach.

How has your family's business evolved over time?

In 1962, our business officially began under the name Lavanda del Chianti. Our products carried labels designed by the Sienese painter Vittorio Zani - the same artist who created the symbol for Monte dei Paschi bank. Among our clients were Manetti & Roberts and several local pharmacies. Then my father (who is a doctor) took over, modernising the company with new fields, a distillery, and major works that lasted nearly thirty years. Like my grandfather, I also trained as a pharmacist and chose to carry on this family tradition. Today, our products are used in spirits and cosmetics.

Which plants do you grow on your land?

We started with Lavandula angustifolia in the 1960s and over time expanded both the crops and varieties: lavandin abrialis, grosso, and other hybrids. The superblue lavender, for instance, grows only here at Casalvento: it has very small, intensely blue flowers that retain their colour even after cutting. We also grow helichrysum, damask rose, juniper, iris, rosemary…

How is Lavanda del Chianti cultivated and processed?

We have several hectares dedicated to lavender, all surrounding the production centre at Casalvento. Flowering occurs between late June and early July, depending on the weather. That’s when we begin harvesting the flowers and stems, which are immediately taken to the distillery. The plant must be processed fresh: for us, that means a month of non-stop work, day and night. Using steam distillation, we obtain the full essential oil and hydrosol, both of which undergo strict quality control.
The entire process takes place locally, on the same hill! And it’s all certified organic.

What does “organic” mean in this case?

We don’t use fertilisers or herbicides, and our fields are inspected and certified annually through soil analysis. We don’t even irrigate: the cultivation is so pure that red poppies often grow among the rows - natural indicators of healthy soil, since they’re among the first species to disappear in the presence of chemicals. One year, an entire field of poppies sprouted next to the lavender rows - never sown, they grew on their own.

In the Matcha fragrance, you use lavender from the ‘Selezione’ cultivar. What makes it so special?

Our ‘Selezione’ cultivar has been going for years and produces an exceptional quality oil, with a rich and clean aromatic profile. While lavender plants typically have a lifespan of about 10 years, one of our ‘Selezione’ fields has plants over 25 years old that are still productive. Clearly, the climate and soil here are ideal. To maintain consistent oil quality, all our plants are clones, propagated through cuttings.

Any funny anecdotes from your life surrounded by lavender?

The only upside is that I’m always tanned. I spend the summer in the fields, often shirtless, and as a result, I’ve always got a great complexion. I look like I’m on holiday all the time - even though I’m actually working 24/7. Anyway, being a 33-year-old who’s always tanned… can come in handy!

What’s your favourite Narici fragrance?

My favourite is Bergamoud. If I have to say Matcha, I’ll politely lie.

Perfumer’s note:

Lavender is one of the oldest aromatic ingredients used in perfumery and phytotherapy. Already used by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans to scent baths, ointments, and fabrics, its name comes from the Latin lavare. Lavender essential oil is a cornerstone of classical French perfumery, especially in the creation of the fougère accord, reinterpreted here with the addition of green tea in the Matcha fragrance.
Today, it is often subject to adulteration or synthetic standardisation: the use of a pure, high-quality lavender significantly enhances the fragrance’s olfactory impact.