Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse
Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse
Danner & Flemming Parfums is a new German brand which debuted this past September: an innovative and extraordinary soil-to-scent enterprise which has championed the cultivation of iris in Bavaria. To date, they have created a trio of iris overdose millésime fragrances which are each possessed of a singular charm and showcase a different visage of this legendary flower. I have only very recently explored their line, thanks to Ann of Indigo Perfumery – but Editor-In-Chief Michelyn Camen was so impressed that she included Iris Altesse in her summation of 2025’s top perfumes.
The Danner & Flemming Team from the left to the right) Sebastian Rost (Designer, co-founder), Theresa Höß (Hoess) (Chemist, co-founder, CEO), Marcel Flemming (Biologist, co-founder, CEO), Christian Danner (Farmer, co-founder)
Danner & Flemming Parfums is a labor of love which has developed over time, thanks to the contribution of a German chemistry professor named Werner Kunz (who undertook a research project regarding the cultivation of iris in Bavaria); dedicated biologist Marcel Flemming (passionately and intimately involved in both the cultivation and the development of perfume), who developed a patented process which has greatly improved the critical drying of iris rhizomes so that they retain their freshness and scent profile; and adventurous farmer Christian Danner, who puts his all into nurturing the highly specialized crops.
Master perfumer Antoine Lie.
The olfactory icing on the cake, in addition to their employment of the highest concentrations of iris in any perfume – is their choice of master perfumer Antoine Lie. I have followed his brilliant career for several decades with great interest and admire his consistent ability to surprise and delight. This house gave him carte blanche to create with no restraint as regards expense – and their intense concentration in Iris Altesse, at 26 times the customary concentration of iris in perfumery – enabled the composition of a fragrance well equated with its venerable eponymous grape. To my nose, Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse is pétillant iris – a celebratory effervescent bouquet with iris pallidia front and center.
Blooming Iris pallida on a field in lower Bavaria in May 2025
A note from Marcel Flemming: “we are using a raw material we have planted many years ago with our own hands, a raw material that is not replaceable as there is only one harvest per year and a limited amount of orris butter we can use. So just as a good wine, there are a certain number of bottles and that’s it…so our limitation is natural, not a marketing limited edition with 500 or 1000; it was 311, 356 and 245.”
Dried Iris pallida slices, ready to be powdered and distilled or extracted.
It feels intuitive to liken the cultivation of wine varietals to that of precious olfactory materials; so much depends upon terroir, climate, and individual harvest. Each consecutive year will be perceptively different to those who are able to discern the subtleties which occur naturally. This explains why the term millésime is incurred: for the immense amount of labor and attention to detail which are necessary to produce certain wines, and most definitively iris – there is a relatively small yield, which ensures a very limited quantity.
Danner & Flemming Iris Poulsard, Iris Altesse and Iris Trouseauu
Danner & Flemming nurture three different strains of iris: Iris Pallida (Bavaria) in Iris Altesse; Iris Germanica Danner in Iris Trousseau; and Iris Germanica in Iris Poulsard. Each imparts a specific body of nuances to the individual fragrance.
Altesse is an old, rare white grape varietal which is native to the Savoie – the mountainous terrain of southeastern France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) which borders on both Switzerland and Italy in the French Alps. When the wine is young, it sports a high acidity balanced with citrus notes, minerality, and a distinct crispness; as it ages, Altesse retains its mineralic charm but also mellows in mouthfeel: the wine displays a rondeur and a dry fruitiness bordering on stone fruit (primarily apricot) confiture. In either case, Altesse is known for its bright, expressive acidity.
Iris Pallidia
Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse (Altesse translates as “Your Highness”) is the perfumed royalty of perfect equipoise. Its list of fragrant components is deceptive, in that one might anticipate a more showy ebullience with the inclusion of naturally indolic white flowers such as jasmine sambac, orange blossom, and tuberose. This is not the case at all; Iris Altesse is proof positive of the Golden Mean, with all elements in proportion. Each fragrant voice contributes to a harmonic whole, and none is strident. The vivid citrus tones of bergamot ally with pink pepper to evoke a sparkling nosefeel, much like the sensation we experience with the initial sip of a young wine. At this juncture, we are blissfully aware of an abundance of cool, earthy, impressive iris which retains its ethereal and feathery qualities. A floral garland engages iris in a graceful pas de deux, accented by cassis’ complex scent profile, which conveys somewhat sharp verdant notes, a brisk mineralic presence, and the duality of jammy fruit underscored with an herbaceous and sulfuric edge. A fine patchouli adds its loamy timbre, redolent of sun, soil, and shadow. Iris Altesse captures, for me – the essence of an effortlessly elegant, wearable white wine. It lingers beautifully on the skin. This perfume is to be treasured as much as enjoyed, I believe you will be as delighted as I was.
Notes: Bavarian iris pallida butter and extract, jasmine sambac absolue, orange blossom absolue, tuberose absolue, bergamot oil, pink pepper CO2, cassis, patchouli oil
Sample kindly provided by Indigo Perfumery – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Note: All photos via the brand
Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse
Thanks to the generosity of Danner & Flemming and Indigo Perfumery, we have one sample of Danner & Flemming Parfums Iris Altesse for one registered reader in the EU, courtesy of Danner & Flemming or Indigo Perfumery if you are in the USA. There is only one winner. Please be sure to register. To be eligible tell us what appeals to you about Ida’s overview, review, the story of the brand and where you live. Draw closes 2/2/206
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