Xerjoff Collections Explained: 1861, Vibe, Oud Stars
Xerjoff sorts its perfumes into collections, each with its own idea, format and rules. This guide goes through the seven collections that the ten Xerjoff perfumes we list belong to, from 1861 and Vibe to Join The Club, where no notes are published.
Xerjoff, founded in Turin in 2007, does not sell one line of perfumes but several, each with its own idea and its own rules. The brand says it has more than 180 scents, so the collection name is the quickest way to know what kind of perfume you are looking at. This page goes through the seven collections that the ten perfumes we list belong to, in the order in which the brand itself names them. Everything is in the Xerjoff collection; the house and its story are in the Xerjoff guide, and its neighbours in Italian niche perfume houses.
What changes from collection to collection
Three things. The first is concentration: six of our ten are Eau de Parfum in 100 ml and four are Parfum in 50 or 100 ml. On a label, Parfum names the top of the concentration scale, as the perfume glossary explains. The second is how much the house tells you: most collections come with a full pyramid, and one publishes no notes at all. The third is what comes with the bottle, from a silk foulard to a fragment of meteorite. The first collection of the house, 17/17 Stone Label from 2007, is not among the ones we list.
1861
Named for the year of Italian unification. XJ 1861 Naxos is the brand's tribute to Sicily and the most reviewed Xerjoff in our research: lemon, bergamot, lavender and incense from Oman, then jasmine sambac, honey, cinnamon and cashmere, over vanilla, tobacco leaf and tonka bean. It is one of our tobacco perfumes, and we read it closely in Naxos notes. Renaissance celebrates Italian artistry: mandarin, lemon, Calabrian bergamot, bigarade and petitgrain on top, mint, lily of the valley and Bulgarian rose in the heart, and musk, cedarwood, amber and patchouli in the base. The brand profiles Naxos as aromatic and spicy and Renaissance as fresh.
Vibe
The brand says every Vibe perfume comes with a Xerjoff silk foulard. Erba Pura is a walk through a Mediterranean old town at golden hour: lemon, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian orange, a heart the brand names simply Mediterranean fruit, and amber, Madagascar vanilla beans and white musk. Erba Gold keeps that citrus opening, with Amalfi lemon, Brazilian orange, Calabrian bergamot and ginger, but puts green apple, melon, pear, cloves and Guatemalan cardamom in the heart and adds woody notes to the amber, vanilla and musk of the base. Both are profiled fresh and fruity and sit with our fruity perfumes.
Join The Club
The collection with a rule: the notes are, in the brand's words, a closely guarded secret, and none are published. What you get is the scene. 40 Knots starts from the life of a yacht club: a sailboat on the Mediterranean, salt spray and sunlight on turquoise water. Torino21 is about professional tennis and the charged moments before a match, and the brand calls it fresh and revitalising. We list no notes for either and borrow none.
Oud Stars
Alexandria II, a Parfum, is presented as an ode to Arabian perfumery and named after the ancient crossroads city. Apple, cinnamon, lavender and rosewood open it, cedarwood, lily of the valley and Bulgarian rose form the heart, and amber, Laotian oud, musk, sandalwood and vanilla the base. You will find it with our oud perfumes.
Shooting Stars
This collection followed the first one in 2009 and has the most unusual extra: each presentation includes a certified fragment of meteorite. Cruz del Sur II grew out of founder Sergio Momo's travels in the Amazon rainforest: apple blossom, mango and pineapple on top, green leaves and a floral bouquet in the heart, and cedarwood, musk and vetiver in the base.
Spotlight
La Capitale, a Parfum in 50 ml, is described as distinguished, seductive and versatile. Its sweet opening of caramel, labdanum, peach and strawberry meets ginger, Iranian saffron, leather, amber and rose in the heart, over benzoin, oud and Bourbon vanilla.
Blends
The collaborations. The first was made in 2021 with the Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi: Tony Iommi Monkey Special, named after his 1964 guitar. Bergamot, Bulgarian geranium, passion fruit and rum open it, cinnamon, leather and Singaporean patchouli follow, and caramel, labdanum, musk, sandalwood and vanilla close it. We file it under leather perfumes.
Which collection first
- If you want the full note list: 1861, Vibe, Oud Stars, Shooting Stars, Spotlight and Blends.
- If you like a secret: Join The Club.
- Citrus and fruit: the two Vibe perfumes; Erba Gold notes shows how the second is built.
- Warm and spiced: Naxos, Alexandria II, La Capitale and Monkey Special; Naxos vs Erba Pura sets the two most reviewed side by side.
To search beyond one house, Find your scent sorts the whole catalogue by season, occasion, scent family and intensity.
Frequently asked questions
How many collections does Xerjoff have?
The brand organises its range in collections and names 1861, Vibe, Join The Club, Oud Stars, Shooting Stars, Spotlight and Blends; its first, 17/17 Stone Label, came out in 2007. The ten perfumes we list come from those seven.
Why are there no notes for Torino21 and 40 Knots?
Both belong to Join The Club, a collection in which Xerjoff keeps the notes undisclosed; the brand calls them a closely guarded secret. We describe the idea behind each perfume and add no notes from other sources.
What is the difference between Erba Pura and Erba Gold?
Both belong to the Vibe collection and open with citrus. Erba Pura has a heart of Mediterranean fruit, while Erba Gold has green apple, melon and pear with cloves and cardamom, and adds woody notes to the base.
