Richwood Xerjoff 2010

Tangerines on the trees, sweet flesh the peel sour,
The dew of the last rain showers runs off the currants.

Morning coolness, rays of sunshine promise a warm day,
The sun shines on the rose bed, which was just in the shade.

Beds of fresh soil, in which young roses eagerly climb,
Tendrils climb up the light wood, a grove of petals.

A gentleman of elegance and maturity takes care of them,
White shirt, stiffened collar, smells of fine soap.

Swathes of the finest sandalwood waft densely through the foliage,
A musky cloud with a vanilla tail briefly breaks the sunlight.

The sun warms the tired limbs, sandal powder on the head,
Birds chirp, leaves rustle, the amber dust trickles finely.

Fin.

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With XerJoff's Richwood, I once again have a fragrance under my nose that makes it quite difficult for me to form an informed opinion about it. This is by no means due to an unsuccessful creation or other inconsistencies. No, the problem lies more in my tastes and preferences. And so I have to realize and admit to myself that I still find it difficult to write a reasonably good review of fragrances that are objectively (insofar as this is possible) well to very well made, but which do not suit my taste.

In my opinion, Richwood is a sandalwood fragrance per se, even if it has been without listed sandalwood for a year now - more on that later. The opening is dominated by sweet and sour mandarin and a hint of blackcurrant. I think the hint of berries in particular is superbly realized. The sparkling opening quickly settles on a bed of rose soap and a lot of powder before the two protagonists of the creations increasingly step into the limelight. In fact, soft, slightly earthy patchouli appears first before the sandalwood becomes increasingly present as the fragrance progresses. The patchouli is remotely reminiscent of freshly dug up earth and transplanted seedlings, while the sandalwood is typically creamy, dusty and powdery. A certain nuance of the fruits mentioned at the beginning remains recognizable throughout the fragrance, albeit reduced by the citrus part, which I really appreciate. In the drydown, I really like Richwood, as a wonderful base of sandalwood, musk, vanilla and amber has formed over time, which is really pleasant on the skin. Unfortunately, the top and heart notes dampen my enjoyment of the fragrance somewhat. All in all, Richwood is really excellently composed and balanced. It is a fragrance for special occasions, as it is easily perceptible but not overpowering. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite suit my taste.

Now a word about the sandalwood. I remembered that Richwood is basically centered around the note Mysore sandalwood, which the name seems to suggest. However, I have now discovered that there was an update to the fragrance notes a good year and a half ago, to which the aforementioned wood fell victim. I can't say whether my bottling is from before or after the update. However, I can clearly smell sandalwood, whether Mysore or not I cannot judge. However, I do wonder why it makes sense (apart from the financial aspects) to deprive a fragrance of its main characteristic, even if this has only happened in the fragrance pyramid.