Time passes slowly inside the ancient chalk caves of Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region in northeastern France. Deep underground, in a noirish, cathedral-like space flanked by rows of ageing Dom Ruinart cuvée, the vibe is laidback, the temperature a rock-steadied 12 degrees. Down here, patience is a long-acknowledged virtue, and tranquillity a given.

Well, except for this evening, when an excited assemblage of invited guests are seated at three long flower-bedecked tables positioned around a dramatic centrepiece, a 38-metre sound art installation powered by AI that reaches up to the quarry’s original opening. If the air is unusually aromatic in this crayère, one of a vast network of chalk-walled cellars mined in the 5th century (and included on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2015), it’s all to do with why we are here – celebrating The Essences, a new trio of fragrances from the luxury Omani perfume house Amouage.