Fragrance comparison

Quercia vs Old Story

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

Updated 12 Oct 2026 138 ratings analysed

Quercia

Santa Maria Novella · 2024

3.7794 votes

Rank #14,858 WoodyEarthy

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Old Story

Alexandria Fragrances

4.2344 votes

Rank #24,941 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Old Story takes 5 of 7 categories.

Quercia
Choose it for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Old Story
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Quercia2/7

Old Story5/7

Ratings & consensus: Old Story
Community sentiment: Old Story
Longevity: Quercia
Sillage & projection: Old Story
Value for money: Old Story
Versatility: Old Story
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Quercia

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

QuerciaSanta Maria Novella

Old StoryAlexandria Fragrances

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 29%Had 4%Want 67%

4.23/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 45%Had 8%Want 46%

Category winnerOld StoryRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

36%Love

27%Like

19%Ok

14%Dislike

4%Hate

94 votes

46%Love

36%Like

10%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

39 votes

Category winnerOld StoryMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityQuercia

SillageOld Story

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value31

¤ Price value70

Category winnerOld StoryBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

earthy83%

aromatic65%

patchouli48%

lavender30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy90%

woody80%

white floral70%

green60%

citrus50%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Lavender

Heart

VetiverPatchouli

Base

Oak

Top

NeroliLavenderPetitgrainRosemary

Heart

JasmineGeraniumGalbanumClary Sage

Base

AmberVetiverSandalwoodOakCedar

InformationalShared notesLavender, Vetiver and Oak. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring88

Summer50

Fall100

Winter69

Day100

Night81

Spring100

Summer90

Fall95

Winter35

Day100

Night70

Category winnerOld StoryMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men72

Unisex23

Women4

Men92

Unisex8

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,858

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2024

Reviews16

Overall rank#24,941

PerfumerHany Hafez

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerQuerciaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Santa Maria Novella Quercia offers a crisp, grounded interpretation of classic woody perfumery. The fragrance opens with a sharp flash of aromatic lavender, bringing the brisk cleanliness of traditional Italian barbershop grooming. As the brisk opening settles, earthy vetiver and dark patchouli create a dry, herbal bo…

Reviews →

Old Story leans aromatic, green and woody, opening with neroli, lavender, petitgrain and rosemary before moving into a sharper herbal heart. The jasmine and geranium soften it slightly, but this stays firmly fresh, structured and masculine in character. On skin, it usually reads like a crisp woody floral musk with a c…

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, Quercia or Old Story?

Old Story takes 5 of 7 categories. Quercia is rated 3.77/5 from 94 votes; Old Story is rated 4.23/5 from 44 votes. Choose Quercia for a woody and earthy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Old Story for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Quercia or Old Story?

Quercia lasts longest (Quercia 71/100, Old Story 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Quercia or Old Story?

Old Story projects furthest (Old Story 58/100, Quercia 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Quercia and Old Story smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Vetiver and Oak.

Is Quercia or Old Story better for summer or winter?

For summer, Old Story is the stronger pick. For winter, Quercia is the stronger pick. Quercia suits daytime wear; Old Story suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Quercia and Old Story?

Quercia has top notes of Lavender, heart notes of Vetiver and Patchouli, a base of Oak. Old Story has top notes of Neroli, Lavender, Petitgrain and Rosemary, heart notes of Jasmine, Geranium, Galbanum and Clary Sage, a base of Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Oak.