Givenchy Xeryus Rouge: Your thoughts?

Finally got around to sampling this (had a sample once years ago but it didn't make an impression then. I don't know why.) and I find this really intriguing.

I get the citrus up top along with a fruity note, and also some very dry and slightly scratchy notes of cedar leaf (primarily) and geranium, plus whatever is going into the cactus accord. The fruit disappears quickly but later re-emerges in the heart. From there on out I sometimes detect the fruit, usually when I really warm up or breathe on the spot, but otherwise the dry, scratchy woody accord smells most prominent to me. I know dry and scratchy sounds negative, and normally I would use those adjectives in a negative manner, but in this fragrance the texture is actually really appealing as it somehow manages to get close to, but never cross into irksome territory. The wood accord also smells unlike anything I've ever really experienced - if I had to give it a color i'd say it smells more grey, with hints of beige. Dry and a bit barren. Like Terre d'Hermes but without the sunlight. Xeryus Rouge is more like an overcast autumn day.

Interestingly, as I said before, the fruity notes do persist for a long time and make themselves known briefly at seemingly random intervals. This keeps the scent from becoming too woody/dry/bleak, and is what really gives it that overcast autumn day feeling.

Does anyone else read the scent that way I do? I'm curious to hear what you all think of this. I think I really like it, but after only one full wearing don't fully understand it. I'm going to give this another wearing or two - I really think this could become (along with L'Anarchiste, Bois de Turquie, and Davidoff Adventure) an autumn staple.

Let me know what you think of Xeryus Rouge.

edit: Does anyone else feel there are similarities to TdH, in some ways? I feel like TdH is aligned to summer, while XR is what TdH would smell like if it were aligned to autumn.

Bah, that would ruin everything that makes this fragrance interesting and unique!

But, I do understand how people could feel it's too harsh/spiky.

It's not as mad to me as it apparently is to others. I do get what I can imagine cactus flesh smells like, but more than that I get the very aromatic, sweet, and yet sharp and biting aroma of cedar leaf oil (although the actual oil is extremely ephemeral - i'm curious how this got extended. Although, I have detected a similar accord in other scents that list cedar leaf, such as Deseo for Men by J.Lo). So, despite there being a fair bit of sweetness present, the scent doesn't read to my nose as actually being sweet because of all of the contrapuntal sharp and dry elements.

While I enjoyed my first wearing I am very worried that my ultimate reaction may be something akin to yours Mario - it's nice and interesting but at the end of the day - *shrug*. I hope that's not the case, though, as both my g/f and I really like this one so far.

Interesting Zgb. You don't detect any fruity notes at any point in the drydown? I admit that the scent does not smell fruity enough on me to be labeled a "fruity scent" - but the fruity note apparent at the opening does peek out now and again in the drydown (my original post may have made it sound like it is omnipresent, but it isn't, at least not on me.)

For those of you who own and/or like this, what season, weather, situations, etc do you find yourself most inclined to reach for this? My thoughts are fall/casual and also evening/semi-romantic.