What do we mean by a fragrance “note”?
In a quality perfume or cologne, a fragrance note is the categorization of a select blend that evokes a particular feeling. They are known as “Top Notes”, “Heart Notes” and “Base Notes”.
A top note is the first layer in a fragrance – it is typically the first impression and commonly consists of citrus and/or light florals. Top notes are light and evaporate fairly quickly – within an hour or so – and then lead into the Heart notes of a fragrance.
Montale has a winter-perfect fragrance that is a good example of citrus and bergamot notes: