The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Richwood exists in the Xerjoff universe as a study in deliberate contrast. Part of the 17/17 Stone Label collection, the house's perfume extracts, designed for maximum concentration, it was composed by Jacques Flori and released in 2010. The name suggests richness, depth, something forested and heavy. But the opening refuses that expectation entirely: bright citrus, a citrussy spark that arrives before anything else does. It's a choice that announces intention. Flori wanted you to wait. The name promises wood, the opening delivers light. What builds in between is the whole point.
The structure is what makes Richwood work. The top layer, bergamot, grapefruit, blackcurrant bud, mandarin, is fruity, bright, almost effervescent. Then geranium leaf enters the heart, bringing a green, slightly medicinal quality that keeps the rose from becoming predictable. But it's the base where the character lives. Patchouli provides the earth. Labdanum, cistus, rockrose, adds a sticky, balsamic, resinous quality that elevates this beyond a standard patchouli fragrance. Coumarin threads through as sweet, hay-like warmth. Vanilla softens everything at the edges. The contrast isn't just citrus versus wood. It's a full conversation between brightness and depth, between what you expect and what you get.
The evolution
The opening hits bright and immediate, bergamot, grapefruit, the sharp wine-like quality of blackcurrant bud. It lasts maybe thirty minutes before the heart takes over. Geranium leaf arrives green and grounding, while the rose absolute deepens into something darker than its name suggests. Then patchouli enters around the two-hour mark, and suddenly the whole composition shifts. The sweetness recedes. The earth arrives. What remains is patchouli, labdanum, amber, vanilla, a base that holds for hours. Eight to ten hours of wear, community ratings confirm. The drydown is quiet, warm, meditative. The kind of scent you smell on your sleeve the next morning and wonder how it got there.
Cultural impact
Richwood sits comfortably within Xerjoff's philosophy of treating perfumery as art. The 17/17 Stone Label collection represents the house's most ambitious concentration work, fragrances designed to be experienced, not just worn. It's the kind of scent a collector reaches for when they want something that doesn't compromise.
