Olive blend: 50% Morellino, 20% Frantoio, 20% Leccino, 10% Raggia
The 2024 harvest – In Ca’ dell’Oro olive grove October 15th was the first day of the olive harvest and, as Alceo’s contented smile confirmed at the end of the day, it was finally an excellent year, the boughs of the trees were laden with little green and purplish-black fruit. Several months earlier, at the end of February, the head agronomist wasn’t so confident; an overly warm and dry winter, and soil with little moisture had led to fears of a poor harvest. In spring, however, numerous thunderstorms replenished the water resources for the olive trees, which, after flowering profusely, were able to cope with the periods of hot, dry summer weather. The rain that arrived in late-August, fortunately, confirmed an old farmers’ saying – “Acqua d’agosto piove olio, miele e mosto!” (= August rain brings oil, honey and must!). There was also plenty of rainfall in September, leading to branches laden with ripe olives that, precisely because they were so numerous, were smaller than usual but highly concentrated.
The “Olio Novo” 2024 – Even the later varieties reached ripeness earlier than usual, and on October 15th we also began pressing the olives. The “Olio Novo” (= new oil) is rich in polyphenols, with intense aromas of fresh grass and green almonds. It’s a beautiful shade of emerald green with golden hues, and the excellent balance between bitterness and pungency leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean, not oily. Now is the time to enjoy it “raw”, on a salad or a “pinzimonio” of vegetables, on bruschetta prepared with homemade white bread, on soups, and let’s not forget pulses, especially beans (here we typically use tasty, white Cannellini). The new oil also lends itself to being heated to prepare delicious dishes such as roast meat and roast potatoes with rosemary.