Candy Rose Montale 2012

At the latest since Prada's bestseller, the word Candy immediately conjures up a tooth and nose burdening sugar bomb. When the house Montale also offers a Candy paired with rose, I fear the worst right away:
an extreme gourmand with a piercing floral note. I have ignored the present sample long enough because I was so sure about what to expect. Only today, in search of a suitable sweet fragrance addition, did I dare a little test. And lo and behold:

I must apologize, because this Montale surprises me greatly.
(I should have guessed it; at the latest when Hannali started a sharing with CR some time ago, because it actually fits perfectly into her prey scheme.)
For me, completely unexpectedly, "Candy Rose" is a light, delicate rose scent, a French ballet girl in a pale pink tutu, and not an oriental seductive treat, as is often the case with Montale.
The dominant rose is accompanied by a bright fruity accord that takes away its dull mustiness. Only a very fine layer of powdered sugar lightly rests on top, not covering it but allowing the pink-white secret to shine through transparently.
Initially, the poor "Candy Rose" only received 40 points from me,
mainly because I am not a declared fan of rose scents.
But that now seems a bit unfair.
The fragrance is very well balanced, very elegant and feminine, making it very wearable. Lovers of delicate, fine floral scents will surely enjoy it.

Nevertheless, it is questionable whether Candy Rose has enough character with its subtle restraint to make one want this particular rose. It does not necessarily come across as a compelling recommendation in the sense of "This rose and no other." At least a few fragrances in the "floral-fruity-transparent" direction come to mind that are similar.
Perhaps the Montale-typical good longevity would be a decisive plus point against the competition.