Creating a fragrance wardrobe for the BF, and would like some suggestions.

A few suggestions:
Zirh Corduroy- nice inexpensive woodsy oriental
Tommy Bahama for Men: Nice woods scent
Rochas Man: Nice sweet chocolate smell

Sounds like he likes the contemporary favorites. Perhaps he'll enjoy Armani Code and Terre D'Hermes? How about a good vetiver like Encre Noire?

Are you sure he'll like what he likes on women on himself? By that I mean arpege. I think bulgari ph is a safe and good choice.

anyway, I don't think there is any definitive stuff to be had by every "discerning man" but here's some ideas:

kenzo pour homme: workhorse and interesting aquatic.
dior fahrenheit: classic and unique fougere.
lalique encre noire: my latest favorite. very versatile and charismatic woody aromatic.
caron l'anarchiste: closest I would get to gourmand territory. spicy honeyed woods. comforting and sexy.

Add a vetiver, and if in a quandry about which one, pick Encre Noir for contemporary or Guerlain Vetiver for classic. For a sweet masculine scent pick Guerlain's Habit Rouge for classic, or maybe L'Instant Pour Homme for contemporary but not really sweet.

m7, rive gauche, opium by ysl

I'll add two more.
Azzaro Visit : I'm sure you'll both like it instantly
Zino Davidoff : It's more complex but IMO very rewarding.

Ferragamo F Black pour Homme

Habit Rouge
Chanel Pour Monsieur
Egoiste
Vetiver by Guerlain
Opium Ph by YSL

I think Armani Code is a wonderfully masculine scent, yet not overpoweringly strong.

+1 to Kenzo Homme and Terre d'Hermes, and will add Bvlgari Aqva.

Also if he likes L'homme, check out La Nuit de L'homme. It shares some similarities, but is definitely its own fragrance.

Finally, maybe check out Allure Homme Sport and/or Allure Homme Edition Blanche from Chanel.

Armani Code is pretty good but has almost no projection on my skin once it dries down. It might be good if you don't want other women to smell him :P It's a pretty close scent for me but then again fragrances don't usually project the best on my skin. If you want him to wear this while cuddling up it might be good. The basenotes are a subtle vanilla (tonka bean I think) and I don't think it will choke you up too much up close.

Terre D' Hermes is the best daily wear fragrance I own. My mom actually picked it out for me and she doesn't even like cologne too much. Great longevity, good projection. The way it smells to me is like an orange peel mixed into a thick, sweet syrup of honey with subtle notes of woods and spices thrown in there. You might want to check it out.

On a side note, I did recently sample Polo Double Black and thought the mango top notes were amazing. The down side is that the top notes didn't last too long but I guess it's worth a try.

Anddd also.. Aqua di Gio. It has a bad rep for being too popular but it's not even that bad. I think it's actually a good summer scent if you don't mind it's popularity, better than L Eau d' Issey and Allure Homme imo.

Honorable mentions: Chanel Allure, Polo Blue

Idk, I'm kinda young so that's the type of fragrances I go for (Besides the Hermes which is indeed a mature scent). I'm relatively new to fragrances as well so I haven't come close to sampling all of them, just hope I could help a little bit though

Aqua di Gio
Herrera for Men
Original Vetiver (Creed)
Millesime Imperial
Silver Mountain Water
Happy
Egoiste Platinum
New Haarlem

Oudh Wood, Tom Ford is like a walk in a damp forest
Romance Silver, Ralph Lauren has a woody feel
Sequoia, Comme des Garcons is like wearing fresh squeezed chopped wood, a literal interpretation
Tommy Bahama -- nice black pepper, woody feel

I'd certainly advocate for L'Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme, either EdT or EdP. All the women I know really like it. It leans sweet, but doesn't go over the edge into coma inducing. Subtle sweet. I wish it were a bit more potent, but I can't advocate it enough. You'll be on him like white on rice.

Habit Rouge is a classic that has grown on me like a fungus, especially the EdP version ("Beau Cavalier" in US). If he's open to something elegant and refined, and not scared of a scent that some might consider mature, it's fantastic.

In the aquatic realm, I prefer Issey over AdG. Lot of compliments on that one.

He may not, but I bet you will like L'Instant and he'll like that.

what is your price range?

Agreed. I'm wearing it as I type this and I just love it. Great scent.

Code is one of my favorites. I get just the right amount of projection and it lasts a long time on me. A soft and inviting scent that I can use for most situations.

I'm just gonna throw some fragrances out there all under 25 bucks, with short descriptions to give you a little insight. If they seem of interest you can just check out the reviews on them to get more of a general idea.

It's a bit difficult to understand what you like for him, or what he may like based on your OP, so you may find responses and recommendations to be all over the place.

Drakkar Noir; enough said.
Azzaro pH; a timeless masterpiece, has "I'm a man" written all over it, without shorting you of any quality. Doesn't smell at all chemical, like some powerhouses might.. yet still has the ability to project beyond most.
Cool Water; most people have smelled this stuff. Clean, refreshing, long lasting, and as versatile as they get without being "boring".
Kanon Norweigan Wood; this may be a little more difficult to get in stores, I picked up a big bottle at Ross for 6.99. Fantastic sweet sandalwood, reminiscent of the far more expensive Tam Dao. Sandalwood.. is what you mostly get here. Kind of sits close to the skin, but I feel every fragrance connoisseur should own at least 1 pure sandalwood fragrance, to get some insight into what is in the base of more than 50% of mens fragrances, to see what an amazing note this is on its own, or at least in a fragrance that emphasizes on it. This is my 1! (I just can't afford a full bottle of Tam Dao right now)
Halston Unbound; arguably the best AdG clone out there. IMO though, it's a little more than an AdG clone, but also a little less. The opening has far more melon notes, while the dry down is more floral than AdG. The florals in this i can take or leave because they do turn a bit more feminine, but they stay close to the skin at this point. The opening is a fantastic aquatic, longevity isn't the best, but who cares at 13 bucks for over 3.3 oz

I enjoy all of these very much -- all are worthy of 4-5 stars. Hope these help you.

Woody-Oriental: Eau des Baux by L’Occitane
Woody-Floral: Bois d’Iris by The Different Company (the iris is turned into a buttery whikey note)
Vetyver: Vetiver extraordinaire by Frederic Malle or Sel de Vetiver by The Different Company or Encre Noir by Lalique
Manly Flowers: Flowers for men - Gardenia by Neil Morris
Earthy: Terre d’Hermes or (more spicy) L’Air du desert marocain by Andy Tauer
For Men only: Tom Ford Extreme or Teck by Molinard (Teck is the more extreme of the two)
Elegance: Bois d’Orage (French Lover) by F. Malle
EDC: Aqua di Parma Colonia

That would be my suggestion. It will be fun for both of you, and arm you with solid ideas for future gifts for him for years to come!