This fragrance launch continues a 15-year family legacy

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The buzz:Chanel releases new Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif.

What to know: In 2010, Jacques Polge revealed the first Bleu de Chanel fragrance.

The men’s cologne, which marked the first new scent launch in the category for Chanel since 2004’s Allure Homme Sport, was a fast favourite among fragrance fans thanks to it sensual mix of sparkling citrus and woody notes.

The latest iteration of the Bleu de Chanel story builds on that fragrance story — and its family legacy.

“It was my father who created the Bleu de Chanel line,” says Olivier Polge, the in-house perfumer at the French luxury brand since 2014. “With L’Exclusif, the idea was to add a new chapter to the fragrance’s story, to reinterpret the theme of Bleu de Chanel.”

Polge’s father, Jacques, was the Creator of Parfums at Chanel from 1978 until 2014.

In order to do that, Polge took the existing elixir and then shifted the key elements of the scent, “like turning a kaleidoscope,” he notes.

Described by Polge as a “woody, ambery-aromatic fragrance,” the new Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif is centred around lavender, while also incorporating more spicy cologne notes.

“These are followed by the woody and leathery-amber accords,” Polge explains. “While cedar plays a key role, we built the fragrance’s intensity on a foundation of sandalwood and the leathery, resinous facets of (the flower) cistus labdanum.”

Created like an extrait de parfum, the new scent is complex, sophisticated and subtly spellbinding.

“L’Exclusif leaves a distinctive mark — textured with leathery notes,” Polge says.

The company tapped A Complete Unknown actor Timothée Chalamet for the launch of the new scent, a decision that has undoubtedly lent additional buzz to the latest Bleu de Chanel release.

The price: $238 for 60 mL | $334 for 100 mL.

The retailer:Chanel.