Today’s the day: Vianne and Vianne’s Confession are here

The wait is over. Today, two marvellous things are being released into the wild.

Vianne, the brand-new prequel to Joanne Harris’ much-loved novel Chocolat, is officially out.

And with it comes a scent to match: Vianne’s Confession, created by 4160Tuesdays’ perfumer Sarah McCartney, is now available to order.

Vianne is the story of how Vianne Rocher became the woman and chocolate maker we first met in Chocolat.

Set in Marseille in the late summer and autumn, the book is a treat for the senses: the darkness and light of the Old Quarter, cobbled streets, sea air, steep alleys and the aroma of geraniums brightening up the doorways and windows.

Joanne Harris has always been fascinated by scent. She isn’t just a writer who thought, “wouldn’t it be nice to have a fragrance to go with the story.” She’s someone who’s experienced the world through scent and colour since childhood. Her memories, and her writing, are soaked in smell.

That early fascination made her the perfect partner for a scent-story collaboration. She came to our studio, spent the day with Sarah, and together they explored some of the strangest and most wonderful ingredients in perfumery.

They shared ideas and experimented to capture a scene, a moment, a feeling in the story.

One blend stood out. Joanne described it like this:

“Like a young woman after a swim in the sea, taking refuge from the heat in the cathedral.”

That became the scent. And so, Vianne’s Confession was born.

Vianne’s Confession

It’s rich, layered and long-lasting, with incense and cacao, grounded in salt, rose, geranium and musks. It’s not sweet. It’s bitter dark chocolate, melted into the cool air of a stone church by the sea.

It’s already won hearts and noses. Jo Fairley, co-founder of The Perfume Society, named it Best in Show at the Barnes Fragrance Fair and shared her thoughts in a glowing write-up. 

Here’s what she said:

“The one I’ve been spritzing compulsively is Vianne’s Confession, by perfumer Sarah McCartney.”

And this:

“Imagine standing in the cool of a cool church that happens to be right next to a chocolatier’s shop, which is wafting the scent of its wares into the nave. To be precise, of a bar of seasalt dark chocolate”

And this too:

“The incense thread dominates, at the start, before it softens and smooths on skin, when it becomes almost lickably salty. (Although I wouldn’t advise it.) Staying power is amazing; I can still smell it clearly the morning after the spritz before”

You can read the full post here, although I may have given away the gist – Jo's Scent Notes: 4160 Tuesdays Vianne's Confession

Scent Illustrations

If you’d like to hear the full story in their own words, join Joanne and Sarah on 10th June at a special live Fragrance Foundation event: Scent Illustrations.

They’ll be talking about how this unusual collaboration came about and why scent is such an important part of storytelling. If you want to go along, you can buy tickets here. 

Vianne’s Confession is available to order now. Whether you’re a Chocolat fan, a perfume lover, or just someone who believes that scent and story belong together, this one’s for you.

Order Vianne’s Confession here