Year: 2009
Notes: violet leaf, Turkish rose, oud, olibanum, Indonesian patchouli, Indian sandalwood, musk
Comment: Louban is part of the Intermediary Collection
Louban is another case of Montale stuck in a cul-de-sac, with the now very tired combination of rose and oud. As for the presence of any frankincense, it's sorely inconspicuous. Its main problem is that there are already at least a dozen Montale ouds, which succeed in achieving what this composition is incapable of. As a result, it's an oud release that adds very little to the oud line.
It's not as rich or tenacious as this house's earlier (and far superior) oud interpretations but some may prefer it this way. Also, one gets the impression that this may well be another example of Montale attempting to attract higher sales by dumbing down their olfactory concept. Still, it's rather disturbing to witness such compromises being made to their integrity for the sake of increased profit margins.
So, where does this leave their loyal fans, who already own many classic Montale offerings but are still eagerly awaiting another impressive and substantial creation? Probably out in the cold, it seems. So much for looking after your core customer base...
Please make a swift comeback, the Montale of old.
It's not as rich or tenacious as this house's earlier (and far superior) oud interpretations but some may prefer it this way. Also, one gets the impression that this may well be another example of Montale attempting to attract higher sales by dumbing down their olfactory concept. Still, it's rather disturbing to witness such compromises being made to their integrity for the sake of increased profit margins.
So, where does this leave their loyal fans, who already own many classic Montale offerings but are still eagerly awaiting another impressive and substantial creation? Probably out in the cold, it seems. So much for looking after your core customer base...
Please make a swift comeback, the Montale of old.
