Giribizzi Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml

Coming from a region like Tuscany (I am half Piemontese and half Florentine) I might be expected to have an allegiance to Tuscan olive oil. And yet, I chose a Sicilian oil for our signature range, much to the wrath of my mother and with the risk of being disinherited! Flavoursome and tasty our oil uses an indigenous single variety called Tonda Iblea - an olive from Monti Iblei (Hyblaen Mountains) in the Sicilian province of Syracuse. Situated over 550 meters above sea level, this olive grove consists of one thousand trees on only a few hectares of land. The terrain is rich in volcanic sediments making it difficult to work the land but, at the same time, it is rich with fertile organoleptic properties - high in polyphenols & antioxidants. The production of this flavoursome single variety olive oil dates back to the era of Magna Graecia – a period between the 8^th-5^th centuries BCE when Greek civilisation spread throughout the Mediterranean.

On trying the product, I immediately knew that this beautiful mono cultivar produced a wonderfully balanced oil; with a lot of character (without being as strong as a beautifully bitter Tuscan oil), it is an excellent example of what makes an accessible but excellent extra virgin oil. It has an attractive, vibrant, rich colour, medium-intensity, fruity flavour, a fresh scent, with hints of artichoke and tomato. Genuinely balanced with bitter and spicy notes, it has a long-lasting finish. The olives are hand-picked and pressed within eight hours. The oil is cold extracted through a process of temperature-controlled production that aims to maintain the organoleptic characteristics of the oil. Very low in acidity & high in polyphenols it has a compelling personality which we find brings customers back again and again.