Fragrance comparison

Black Cherry Merlot vs Red Wine Brown Sugar

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 1,064 ratings analysed

4 wins

Black Cherry Merlot

Bath & Body Works

4.15311 votes

Rank #16,259 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Red Wine Brown Sugar

Bohoboco

3.63753 votes

Rank #4,778 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Cherry Merlot takes 4 of 7 categories.

Black Cherry Merlot
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter.
Red Wine Brown Sugar
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Black Cherry Merlot4/7

Red Wine Brown Sugar3/7

Ratings & consensus: Black Cherry Merlot
Community sentiment: Black Cherry Merlot
Longevity: Red Wine Brown Sugar
Sillage & projection: Red Wine Brown Sugar
Value for money: Black Cherry Merlot
Versatility: Black Cherry Merlot
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Red Wine Brown Sugar

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Black Cherry MerlotBath & Body Works

Red Wine Brown SugarBohoboco

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 311 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

3.63/ 5 · 753 votes

Have 74%Had 26%Want 0%

Category winnerBlack Cherry MerlotRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

33%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

4%Hate

300 votes

25%Love

35%Like

20%Ok

15%Dislike

4%Hate

557 votes

Category winnerBlack Cherry MerlotMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityRed Wine Brown Sugar

SillageRed Wine Brown Sugar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value76

¤ Price value50

Category winnerBlack Cherry MerlotBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

fruity100%

sweet86%

wine72%

cherry58%

nutty44%

almond30%

fruity100%

sweet88%

wine77%

woody65%

alcohol53%

leather42%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both fruity, sweet and wine

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

RaspberryRed WineSour Cherry

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Red BerriesDried FruitsRaspberry

Heart

Red WineCedarPatchouli

Base

LiquorBrown sugarLeatherCaramel

InformationalShared notesRaspberry and Red Wine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring66

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerBlack Cherry MerlotMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

Men9

Unisex58

Women32

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,259

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#4,778

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews83

Category winnerRed Wine Brown SugarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Black Cherry Merlot is a fruity, gourmand-adjacent fragrance that highlights the contrast between tart sour cherry and deep red wine accords. Launched in 2019, this scent offers a straightforward, jammy sweetness suitable for casual autumn days. It sits close to the skin, providing a warm, inviting presence that avoid…

Reviews →

Red Wine Brown Sugar opens with a dark, juicy mix of berries, dried fruit and a boozy red wine effect, then settles into brown sugar, caramel, leather and patchouli. It reads sweet, fruity and slightly woody rather than airy or fresh. This is a better fit for evening wear, colder weather and anyone who likes unusual g…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Black Cherry Merlot or Red Wine Brown Sugar?

Black Cherry Merlot takes 4 of 7 categories. Black Cherry Merlot is rated 4.15/5 from 311 votes; Red Wine Brown Sugar is rated 3.63/5 from 753 votes. Choose Black Cherry Merlot for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Red Wine Brown Sugar for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Black Cherry Merlot or Red Wine Brown Sugar?

Red Wine Brown Sugar lasts longest (Red Wine Brown Sugar 69/100, Black Cherry Merlot 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Cherry Merlot or Red Wine Brown Sugar?

Red Wine Brown Sugar projects furthest (Red Wine Brown Sugar 62/100, Black Cherry Merlot 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Black Cherry Merlot and Red Wine Brown Sugar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity, sweet and wine accords. Common notes include Raspberry and Red Wine.

Is Black Cherry Merlot or Red Wine Brown Sugar better for summer or winter?

For summer, Black Cherry Merlot is the stronger pick. For winter, Black Cherry Merlot is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Cherry Merlot and Red Wine Brown Sugar?

Black Cherry Merlot features Raspberry, Red Wine and Sour Cherry. Red Wine Brown Sugar has top notes of Red Berries, Dried Fruits and Raspberry, heart notes of Red Wine, Cedar and Patchouli, a base of Liquor, Brown sugar, Leather and Caramel.