Olive blend: 50% Morellino, 20% Frantoio, 20% Leccino, 10% Raggia
A few notes on the olive oil season in Tuscany from the agronomist, Alceo’s “logbook”: “Good winter rainfall, cool and damp until mid-May. Temperature above seasonal average between the second half of May and June. Just one thunderstorm during the long hot summer from June to mid-August. Cracks in the ground in La Scampata and Ca' dell'Oro olive groves. Abundant rainfall between the end of August and mid-September.” The water finally returned. The olives benefitted enormously from the recurrent rain in early September. The copious drops, which slowly penetrated down to the deepest roots, allowed the trees to bring their fruit to ripeness at the end of October, as normal.
The “Olio Novo” 2022
Strong, typical La Vialla extra virgin olive oil, which is emerald green, especially in its early months. In the mouth, bitter and spicy notes strike the palate with their intense pungency but, don’t worry, these sensations come from the high polyphenol content in the olives, and therefore in the oil. The vegetal aromas invade the mouth until reaching the nose in an explosion of greenness (which is often accompanied by a sneeze!). The most noticeable aromas are grass, fresh artichoke, green almonds, freshly cut meadows of alfalfa; there are also some wonderful balsamic notes of calamint and wild fennel. The first bruschetta, as every year, thrills the Viallini present…
...here in Tuscany, finding a recipe in which extra virgin olive oil is not used is a real challenge. Freshly pressed, “Novo” (= new), it’s a genuine protagonist, excellent on warm bruschetta, “fagioli al fiasco” (= beans cooked in a large bottle), a seasonal salad, or as a dip for raw vegetables. Olive oil is an essential part of Tuscan cult dishes such as ribollita, “pappa al pomodoro”, vegetable “guazzabuglio”, pasta with chickpeas… basically as any type of pasta with any sauce! Store it in a dark, cool, dry place.